August 24th, 2025
Tomorrow is my last first day of my graphic design program; if all goes according to plan, I’ll be a DCTC graduate in May 2026.
To recap: I currently have a 4.0 GPA (I got an A+ in my summer Ethics class and I didn’t even know that was a possible grade in college) and took the largest load of courses I’ll ever have to take for this program back during my spring semester (six classes, which is actually kind of crazy). I’ve finished all of my generals, which means it’s just me and design for the rest of my schedule. I’m going to student my butt off and hope to uphold my average so far, but my biggest goal is to get my degree, perfection be damned.
I got a reminder today of why I’m doing this, why I’m developing new skills and sharpening old ones and opening up new paths for myself: I was intensely disrespected by someone and it was, frankly, near intolerable. It’s not something that happens every day, but it happens often enough, and it can be terribly hurtful and fairly dehumanizing.
A side effect of continuing my education and investing in me has been finding a deeper respect for myself and, to be perfectly corny, even loving myself a little more. I think I have some decent qualities and a talent for things that I’m not actively doing every day, and I’m working to change that.
So anyway: back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I’m not a fool.
I love learning, and I love fall: hooded sweatshirts, football, pumpkin everything, the smell and the taste and the sights. I wish the best of it to you and all of yours.
The Den 