Back From Seattle: Susan's SPU Graduation

From the SPU News:

The SPU Class of 2008 graduates on Saturday, June 7. A total of 1,127 students will receive bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, each poised to use their gifts and energies to engage the culture and change the world in a host of ways.

Here is just a sampling of the things new SPU graduates will be doing:

• Designing a sustainable electrical energy source for rural African villages.
• Interning with the Arab League in Cairo. (Alissa Walters, Gary's daughter!)
• Developing technology at a NATO undersea research center in Italy.
• Working as an investment financial analyst in New York City.
• Assisting Sudanese refugees in the Middle East.
• Caring for veterans as a surgical intensive care nurse.
• Earning a Ph.D. in molecular biosciences.
• Interning at an interior design firm.
• Providing transitional housing for homeless Seattle families.
• Serving as an air force officer.
• Writing firmware and software for mini-computers.
• Entering a pre-veterinary studies program.
• Teaching English in France.
• Working as a translator in Mexico.

And one graduate is going on to the University of Toronto, to continue her studies in classics.

Here is our daughter Susan on the right, with a friend on the porch of her apartment. She's wearing all her "academic bling," as she calls it. The red stoles signify they are in the Honors program; the three cords signify "summa cum laude," and the medal on white ribbon signifies they are members of Mortarboard.



Here's Joanna, with flowers from Pike's Place for her big sister.

Proud Papa.





The white and
maroon ribbon is the SPU President's Award. Each year it is given to one undergraduate and one graduate student for academic excellence and for embodying the ideals and values of Seattle Pacific University. None of us knew she was receiving it until we opened our programs! She was called up to the platform, and her smiling face was broadcast on both the jumbo screens of Qwest Field.



Proud Mamma.




Celebration dinner at Costa's Opa in Fremont, with Aunt Helen and Uncle Randy! Saganaki, horiatiki salad, avgolemeno soup, souvlaki, domades,kota lemonati, moussaka, spanikopita, galaktoboureko, bakalava---what else would you give a classics/linguistics major upon her graduation?