Last weekend held one of biggest deals in Logan and my adult life: Logan graduated from law school AND commissioned into the Air Force!

For Logan, the commissioning felt almost more significant: a beginning rather than an end. It marks the commitment he’s making to serving our country as a member of the Air Force. There was something deeply moving about that ceremony, a recognition that this calling is a not an easy one, but one that he feels clearly drawn into and willing to work to the highest standard to be part of.

I’m so ridiculously proud of this man.

The commissioning went down in Duke Chapel, newly renovated. Beautiful and ornate and the perfect setting for the ceremony.

 

We had a full weekend of celebrations. Here’s a breakdown by the numbers:

3: number of ceremonies

14: number of people at one or more ceremony. Yes, we were one of those families that took up two rows. No, we didn’t care.

2.5: hours spent waiting in lines for said ceremonies.

6: number of officers commissioning from the NCCU/Duke AFROTC program

468: number of candidates who graduated from NCCU’s graduate schools this weekend!

1,100: number of photos taken. So much thanks to the rockstar photographers for the weekend, Corey, Ben and Paul!!! Logan had his own personal paparazzi, and for once it wasn’t me.

The weekend was a whirlwind of dress up, hug and chat, wait in line, watch the ceremony, laugh at the hilarious speaker, clap for the graduates, freak out for a moment when you see your graduate walk, and battle crowds to find them after the ceremony. Oh, and then eat your weight in whatever delicious meal you’ve planned afterward.

The next day, we had the law school graduation ceremonies. Complete with Harry Potter dress robes and possibly the goofiest hats in existences (tams), we celebrated three years of briefing, reading, memorizing and analyzing.

One brag, because it’s my blog and you’re choosing to subject yourself to it: at the graduate school graduation, they individually recognized Logan’s achievements, both in school and working for the JAG appointment. What an honor! They also interviewed him and put together a little video; you can check it out here if you’re interested.

The law school graduation marks a huge achievement, but the ironic thing for these legal eagles is that the biggest test is yet to come. Nearly every student who spoke in the ceremony referenced the feeling in the back of their heads that even as they celebrated, they knew next week they would return to their books and buckle down for two more months of cramming their heads full for the bar exam. But during the weekend itself – and continuing for the next week or so – we celebrate the landmark of graduation!

all images copyrighted, credit to Ben Clark, Corey Myrick, Paul Roberts, or Teaspoon of Nose

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