In March 1990, during my senior year at Mountain Crest High School, I started my first course at Utah State University. Computer Science 170, the first of three classes on programming with Pascal, would be the first class of my 11-plus-year off-and-on undergraduate career.

Now, it's over.

Being a part of the graduation process was a very fulfilling and satisfying experience. A lot of people I know didn't bother to do it. They just collected their diploma in the mail and called it done. But graduating ceremoniously really made realize my accomplishment and helped me recognize that others respect my efforts.

It also helped my family understand what I've been doing all these years.

While my dad took a few college courses at the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College (UTC), neither of my parents graduated from college. None of my grandparents had college educations either. Neither of my siblings took more than a handful of classes after high school either. So, this was clearly a monumental event - not just for me, but for my family as well.

Friday

My parents came up Friday afternoon and met Christine and I at Christine's work. We went up to the USU campus together to go to the College Of Science open house which was being held in the Haight Alumni House.

This was something I'd been thinking about for a few days - introducing my parents to some of my professors. I remember lying in bed before falling asleep a couple nights before Friday thinking about what the open house would be like. I was really looking forward to introducing my parents to Dr. Dinerstein and my advisor Dr. Vicki Allen.

It was a little surreal when it finally happened.

Dr. Dinerstein was nowhere to be found. I think he had come and gone by the time we got there because we showed when it was half over.

The decorations

Then, we went out to our house. I was the first one back home and as I pulled up, I could see stuff all over our front door and window and some balloons. Someone (my sister, I discovered later) had come by and put up congratulatory messages on my house.

That was really cool. Here are some pictures.

In front of the house	The banner in the window	A sign on the door
More on the door

Dinner at Tony Romas

We met a guy at our house who was going to clean our carpets. After we got him started, we went to dinner at Tony Romas.

The restaurant was very busy, of course, because of graduation weekend. My parents, Christine and I, and my sister Allison came. While the service was slow and the food was just alright, we had a great time.

During dinner, my mom gave me a card which said she and my dad were proud of me. Inside was some money!

The Saturday procession

On Saturday morning, Christine and I got up early to get to the USU campus by 8:30 for the procession to the commencement ceremony. I met up with my good friend Roberto and walked by him for the procession. Roberto had attached a large tux penguin sticker to the top of his cap. Pretty cool.

Before the procession	Roberto and Doran	Walking on the quad
The front of the procession

Christine and I had things to do (like meet up with my parents) before the graduation ceremony at noon, so we could not stick around for the commencement ceremony.

On our way back to the car, we snapped a few photos of me in my cap and gown with the campus as a backdrop.

On the quad

By 'the hands'

Graduation Ceremony

The graduation ceremony was the climax of the day. After dozens of biology department graduates (the room was "teaming with biology"), and a small graduating class from the chemistry department, the computer science department was called up to receive their diplomas.

I was the first in line because we were arranged alphabetically. I joked later that I graduated first in my class. Heh.

The only people who had come to support me were my parents and my wife, so I was pleasantly surprised when several cheers and bursts of applause erupted from the faculty and students behind me when my name was called. That was cool to bask in.

Accepting my diploma from the interim-dean

With my diploma (holder)

After the ceremony

After the ceremony, we got some pictures with other students and faculty and then outside of me and family.

With Dr. Nelson Dinerstein	With professors Vicki & Steve Allen	With CS dept. head Dr. Don Cooley
With Brian "screamer" Cressal	With my parents	With Christine
With Dad	With Mom