To The New York City College of Technology 2017 Graduates….

“What is that sound?” I mutter to myself, quietly. I ponder what it is as I reluctantly pull myself out of my short slumber. My eyes slowly open as I immediately wish that they would close but I force them to remain wide, awake, and alive. With sleep casted on my eyes, I blindly reach for my phone. “Snooze or Dismiss?” I ask, as if it were an actual question. It’s 5:30 am and I know that my day won’t be done until ten o’clock at night so I continue to debate with myself for a few more seconds upon what I should choose. By default my phone snoozes and I know that I have five whole minutes to dismiss the alarm before the annoying sound reoccurs. There I sit at the edge of my bed waiting for some mystical inspiration to strike me and make me feel one hundred times more energized than I currently feel but it doesn’t. So I conclude that I won’t go to class since I’m too tired and have too many tasks to complete today. I lay back down until I realize that I NEED to go to class today so I sit back up and ponder my thoughts once more before the alarm rings again and I realize that I just wasted five extra minutes of sleep fighting with myself whether to get out of bed today.

This is just one instance of the many struggles of college life and throughout the long days and six hour lab classes for however many years, it is finally over. For the first time in a long time, you can finally feel stress free of homework assignments, midterms, finals, and all the exams/quizzes in between. So bask in the glory of completion because you deserve it. You’ve earned it through the years of non-stop work, last minute essays, the printers wearing themselves out after countless hours of continuous use, and moving through entire days without eating a substantial meal due to an excessive time crunch.

Graduating marks the end of an phase in life for some, in which you learned more than the lectures in class, readings from countless textbooks, and assignments that shaped your craft. In addition to all those wonderfully useful things that you learned, you also learned even more about yourself by proving to yourself that you are determined to get everything your heart desires.

As the next chapter in your life begins, rejoice in what you have done, plan what you do now, and enjoy everything that you do next.

So on behalf of the Buzz Team, congratulations to everyone who finished on a fixed income, came here from a different country, raised kids while getting a degree, worked part-time, worked full-time, worked two jobs, worked three jobs, had to care for family members, and everything in between. We are so proud of you and applaud your achievements.

We thank you for giving the students of New York City College of Technology inspiration they need so they can also reach their goals.

May greatness proceed…