Guest Blog: Graduate of Excellence Luncheon by Elder Dog Walker

 I know that whenever I'm asked to guest blog, I should talk about my mission. Unfortunately, this time, there's something amazing that happened to me just this day. At Salt Lake Community College (SLCC (pronounced Slick)), I've been called as Graduate of Excellence, because I've written my paper about my life with autism and to tell everyone at SLCC that I can accomplish things, even if I may go through all the hard times, like earning all the merit badges in the Boy Scouts program.  This special thing that I'm about to tell you was a Luncheon at the Taylorsville Redwood campus in the Oak Room. When I arrived there after my math Lab in a building at the campus, I waited there a little early for my parents to come for the luncheon. They were a little disappointed that I wasn't wearing a suit like I should have. I didn't know the luncheon was going to be like a wedding reception or a fancy restaurant.
Anyway, there came a Dean who asked me to be in a photo for the Graduates of Excellence program. It was a little awkward of having to go with the Dean and the parents to be taken the picture at the same time. The luncheon started with the remarks from the provost of SLCC. He explained good remarks about us and after the remarks, we started with our lunch. My parents and I went through the Stuffed Chicken, since the other was Stuffed Mushrooms and I'm not really a fan of mushrooms. However, the chicken was delicious along with the gravied potatoes and Mediterranean salad. Then we had dessert on a lemon cake with cherry syrup underneath. Right when we were done with the lunch, the deans started to come up to the microphone to present the Graduates of Excellence of SLCC and read the biography each one has written. Then after the speech of each Graduate, then the dean would let the graduate come up and get their award. The award is a Graduate of Excellence plaque and a Stole of Excellence.

It took almost several of the deans to present the other Graduates before my Dean did mine. Right when the dean read about me and said some amazing compliments about me, he called me up to get my Graduate of Excellence plaque and Stole of Excellence. I showed the plaque and Stole of Excellence to my parents and they were full of praise. And the other deans did the last Graduates. Right when the awards were given to each of us, Graduates of Excellence, the provost did his last remarks to conclude the luncheon and before we were free to go, the deans asked us to gather in front of the banner to take our picture with the provost. Then the provost shook our hands and then I thanked them and the other deans for supporting us and then my parents and I went home to show the family about my plaque and Stole of Excellence.

I should say that some of this was a neat opportunity to become a Graduate of Excellence at SLCC. It's kind of hard to become something special like that at college, but it's totally worth the time and effort to become that. And another big thing they asked me to do at Graduation in May is to carry the college flag right down the aisle of the ceremony. It's like something I've never done before in my life and I'm getting a little nervous of having to do with that. I hope that I'll be able to rehearse on that and know that I can do it. I also hope you enjoyed the story of being a Graduate of Excellence!