Graduation!

This past Sunday I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. Commencement was absolutely wonderful, Al Gore spoke about the climate crisis, but our ceremony was really about Randy Pausch, a CMU professor who is dying of pancreatic cancer. Now that it is over and I have one degree out of the way, I thought I would recap the footprint I have left behind.

Global Studies House: I will never forget the incredible relationships I have developed with my residents. I was able to go to Doha, Qatar, which was my first venture outside of the country. I am so glad that the global studies program will continue to be an institution at my alma mater

New Space: My senior policy project on the Policy Dimensions of New Space, truly taught me that when a few motivated and hard working minds get together; great things can be accomplished. We worked all semester to come up with our suggestions and recommendations on the legal, social, business and safety aspects of private space ventures. Aside from producing a super heavy final document, we provided a comprehensive perspective of where new space is going, and how important it is to up regulation in order to mitigate the possibility of a major crash. This is essential, because through our historical, social and risk analysis, we found that a large crash would completely cripple this promising infant industry.

Lunar Gala: If you would have told me that I would be in a fashion show my freshman year, I would have laughed. But being a part of the Lunar Gala team has taught me so much about organization, vision, teamwork, cultural diversity, and of course, fashion. LG really is a fantastic organization, and I am so proud to have been a part of something so big. To see design collections grow, to see the confidence in our models develop, and just the rush the night of the show. I know next year it is just going to be even better, and I feel so glad to be a part of LG’s success.

The best convocation speech ever!: Being chosen as convocation speaker my junior year was an honor. Giving a convocation speech is one thing, but giving a speech that freshmen actually remembered? Pretty sweet. The emails I got in response, and the people that stopped me on campus to tell me that they enjoyed it? Greatest high ever!

I can’t believe it is all over. It went by so fast. I am really going to miss CMU, and all of my wonderful professors and super awesome nerdy classmates who have really left an imprint on who I am and how I think. I think I am so lucky to have found a university that was so perfect for me, and I am so sad to leave it behind. Maybe grad school?