I have graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology.  Well, almost.  As part of my degree, I need four quarters of co-op experience, and as of now I only have three.  After the summer this will have been taken care of, and my degree will be in the mail.

Commencement was overall a satisfying experience.  Hardly any of the CS students showed up for the actual commencement ceremony, but of course everyone was there for the actual graduation ceremony (y’know, the one where they hand you your degree).  The speaker, Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway among many other things), delivered an excellent message focusing on technology and how it can be used to aid people.  We, as degree-holding students in a technical field, are empowered with the knowledge necessary to make a difference in the world, and should strive to do so.  He, of course, said it more eloquently, but the message was largely the same: Use your degree as a means to give back to society, not just to earn a hefty paycheck and accumulate "stuff."

Mom and Dad came up for the ceremonies and we all had a great weekend together.  On sunday I headed back to Lowville to embark on a journey into the wilderness: a thru-hike of a portion of the Northville-Placid Trail, specifically the section between Long Lake and Lake Placid.  We encountered pretty rotten weather along with an army of mosquitoes, but it was still a blast.  Nothing can keep me from enjoying the wilderness, not even a rash of bug bites reminiscent of a chicken pox victim.

So tomorrow, I guess, is the start of my work life.  It feels kind of strange saying that, for I know that there will be plenty of activities distracting me from such work in the near future.  The future is bright, and I’m looking forward to an awesome summer.

Oh, and today’s my birthday.  Happy two-two to me!