Hey everyone,

I normally don't post too much, well actually, when I do post blogs, I somehow delete them since they're so personal.

From now on, I will try to leave my blog posts here. It will be a good reminder of my struggles and thoughts in life so I can look back at it when life doesn't go my way.

Anyway, I wanted to bring up the topic of graduation and graduation ceremonies.

Yes, they are a great way to officially celebrate students who are graduating after busting , not sleeping for countless nights, cycles of endless tears, realizing that you will never reach your dreams, etc—all to get one piece of paper that means so much in this modern society; but the point I want to bring up is the fact that at graduations, more specifically college graduations, is the fact that there will be students can be decorated.

I understand that it's great to be decorated with all different kinds and colors of stoles, cords, etc, but honestly, what about the students who aren't decorated?

Some of these students may not be decorated because they had numerous jobs, taking care of their family, coping with a mental illness like depression, trying to just get by, or even medically suffering so they don't have the full ability to get that GPA that everyone wants but has tried their hardest.

For some people they were able to get a graduation cord just for being in an honors college, or being a part of a club.

But what if you're that student who has helped a couple of clubs with all of your hard work and compassion, while at the same time exercising your leadership, but at graduation, your gown visibly remains bare because your club doesn't have an official cord or stole? What if you're that student that tries their hardest at achieving the  best GPA they possibly can, struggles, but still manages to just get by at the very bare minimum because you are working towards your dream?

These honor/honour societies are measuring greatness by GPA, but they're not looking at the whole picture. They are not looking at how hard a student has worked to get to where they are. These honor societies are one of the many institutionalized and highly regarded exclusive groups that continues to create this divide and pride amongst people, despite  how they believe and chant inclusiveness as their mantra.

These colleges who have these honor societies are not understanding the struggles that the students without these decorations have gone through. Why aren't there decorations or honors for people who work hard? How will their own personal narratives of how they got to where they are now through hard work be represented in these ceremonies? Sure, there maybe one or two articles of "highly achieving students" of each graduating year, but when will the rest of the students have a chance?

Don't get me wrong on highly achieving individuals. They really do deserve their awards and honors without a doubt, I just don't appreciate how these institutions that hail themselves as inclusive, when they've stacked and divided students against each other.

Graduation is supposed to be about celebrating academic achievements, but with the honor cords and stoles, it is celebrating a number, and not the important message—graduating from that institution for your diploma.

To me, I am barely passing my classes, and I just get very lucky whenever I am able to pass a class without repeating it while  also coping  with several factors in my life like verbal and physical abuse from family, coping with my mental illnesses, and the rest that I will reveal when I blog at another time. I'm taking these classes because they are prereqs for my dream school and future goals. Sometimes, it gets me really sad just thinking about it because despite the tutoring, mentoring, being treasurer, vice president, and dong so much for the community, I still don't get recognition for any of it. I am happy that I will be graduating next year since I am in my third year of my undergrad, but at the same time, my hard work won't be appreciated, along with my compassion and time in organizations and societies I have been a part of since they aren't as appreciated or transparent as others, and other students without these decorations won't be appreciated because when in graduation, the students who are decorated will obviously be the shining stars amongst the thousands during the graduation ceremony.

With that being said, I also have a friend who has changed his major a couple of times, and manages to get an amazing GPA and takes the easiest classes for his major available. He also does not do anything on campus or outside, yet he will be decorated with numerous cords and stoles. He even asks me to go to his ceremonies to watch him receive his cord, etc, but at the same time, it hurts.

It really hurts to witness this, even if I am happy for  my friend.

There's really nothing much I can do about it, personally, but it just hurts, and sometimes I question about whether or not I would actually go to my graduation ceremony because of it.

Have you guys ever felt that way?

-yogurt96