Graduation

Well we did it. We walked, and we got our pictures taken, and we threw hats.

Broadcast people - before the majestic climbing of the walkway.

We also ate a lovely dinner and enjoyed the company of friends and family.

Magleby's -- they catered our wedding, it's only fair
we have graduation dinner with them too :)

I'm going to miss the Heaps!

Last silly time with Haleigh for a long time :(

Elder Oaks

"The mark you receive as a BYU graduate is neither involuntary nor self-imposed. You sought this mark, and it is put upon you by proper authority. After today you have more than a new line on your resume. You have been marked. As a BYU graduate, you are, as we say, a marked man or woman.

...

“We all have marks or labels upon us. Our names and many characteristics of our appearance, such as family similarities, are marks. So is our speech. These marks are involuntary. Other marks are voluntarily assumed, like religious symbols that various faiths use on their apparel, which we honor, and tattoos, which we discourage. Our Savior is the model for the self-imposed mark of the utmost significance.”

...

‘You all have a mark upon you after today — you will be known as a graduate of Brigham Young University, which is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The people who know you and see you will judge the Church by you. Your great mission is to hold the banner high.’"

Just striking a pose, you know

I did it Ma!

Where's Andrew?

That's Master Andrew to you!

Brother Curtis, News director extraordinaire

And best of all: we graduated!

"Are we done taking pictures yet?"

No way! Yay pictures!

Here we go

Well, here we are: commencement day. Tomorrow, we get our degrees and then it's off to...

That's right: Casper, Wyoming!

Andrew accepted an internship with the city's budget office that they very strongly suggested will turn into a job offer at the end of the summer. And I'm going to haul myself on over to their TV station and demand a job.

Is it out in the middle of nowhere? Yup.
Is it somewhat... savage country? Yup.
And don't start me on the fact that Casper, Wyoming is ranked at the very bottomy-bottom of the reporting food chain.

BUT considering the fact we wanted to go somewhere we both have job opportunities, it's actually not a bad deal. In fact, it's not a bad deal at all: we'll have jobs in the same city (which is AWESOME considering what we were starting to look at) and it might be kind of fun to live it up with the cowboys for a while. You gotta start somewhere! We also just found out what Andrew's starting salary would be, and we're both feeling really good about that... :)

Off we go to the Wild Wild West!

Hey look, we're grads:

You'd give this girl a job, right?

Right?

I did a photo shoot with the multi-talented Lizzy Early last week. I needed to send in a good head shot for the journalism competition, and then we sort of got carried away... I didn't mind, cause I've never had senior photos. There, that's a first for me!

Hmmm, I've got a good feeling about the next round of this competition.

The final result

Voilà, ladies and gentlemen. I present to you my sweat, blood and tears from the last four months. These are the four stories I'm submitting to the competition. Pray for me that the judges will think I'm awesome and send me a ticket to San Francisco in June!

Wish me luck!

Awards submission: done

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

My last story aired today and they are all DONE! My news director sent it all off today. Now, we wait. My letter says they'll make a decision early May, hopefully it's actually early May cause I want to know now! Even if I don't make the cut (there are ten students nationally competing, only five make it to San Francisco), I'll have  a very much improved resume reel which is awesome. And I can definitely be happy about that -- it won't have been in vain.

Here's the final installment:

And now, I'm basically done with school! I still have a few papers/forms to send in, and my internship goes until the 25th, but otherwise that's it! I can't believe the end is here. Right now, I just want to take a nice, long nap. For two days.

Oh, and you should watch this incredible video about the Kimanguiste Symphony Orchestra -- beautiful music in the midst of terrible violence and poverty.
It will give you much joy.