Congratulations Kate!


Last Friday, Kate graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering.  Lori & I had a short, but great visit to Nashville to be with her.  It was my first visit back to the States in almost a year, so we had lots of US things on our "to do" list......eat high quality Mexican food, buy clothes for Grant since he seems to need taller sizes every month, wander the aisles of Target (where you can buy everything you need in one store) and drive an SUV that seemed as big as a tank.  It was really weird not to see one single bicycle on the road. 

While we were there, we received a sign that Kate's time in Nashville was complete and she could move on.  One of her frequent complaints has been that everyone has seen Taylor Swift out and about in Nashville (she's lives in a condo near the Vanderbilt campus).  But not Kate.  She saw Barack Obama when he was in town for the Presidential election debates, but she hadn't seen Taylor Swift.  She saw Michael Phelps in the Newark Airport, but she hadn't seen Taylor Swift.  All that changed when one day as the three of us were we enjoying our lunch at Zoe's, in walked Taylor Swift and her mother.  We thought about going up to get a refill on our limeades so we could brush shoulders with her, but decided to simply observe cooly from our table (and take her picture with our cell phone when she wasn't looking).  So with that (and her diploma), we knew that Kate's years in Nashville had been a success. 



Not exactly the picture we took with our cell phone, but close. 


One of Kate's Senior Year highlights was living in a suite with four other great girls.  Their living arrangements included a small living room/kitchen so it was closer to an apartment than a standard dorm room.  They had a lot of fun together.  As a closing finale', they (along with a friend, Mina) hosted their parents and families for dinner at a local restaurant.  Thanks Rachel, Michelle, Mina, Michelle, Kalee & Kate; it was delicious and lots of fun.  



The suite-mates on the morning of the big day.





With their official graduation attire.





The dinner hosts

The visit was not all fun and games though.  If I was the sentimental type, I would write that we boxed up four years of memories that Kate will take with her for the next stage of her life.  In reality we spent the time packing up four years of clothes, textbooks, shoes, plastic cups, etc. that Kate has to haul home.   It is always amazing how much stuff kids fit into their tiny dorm room.  Despite packing her car to a world record density, we had two boxes left over that had to be shipped.  To me it was still a major victory.  As we were lugging boxes down the elevator and out to the car in the Nashville heat, Lori and I were wondering the same thing -- how are we going to do this in 8 years when Grant graduates and we're really old.    

One thing we did bring from The Netherlands was rain; consequently the graduation ceremony had to be held inside. Vanderbilt is small enough that the undergradutates all walk across the stage to shake the Dean's hand, shake the Chancellor's hand and receive their diploma.  All 1734 of them.  So we sat on hard wooden bleachers in the unair-conditioned Memorial Gymnasium for close to four hours.  It actually wasn't that bad.  They wisely opened the concession stands so we could get snacks.  And our view was much better than if we had been sitting on lawn chairs far away from the outdoor stage.  I will commend the Chancellor.  Even though he had to be tired, he shook everyone's hand with great enthusiasm.  I'm sure that he washed his hands several times when it was all over. 



Vanderbilt's Class of 2011





Thanks to the wonder of an optical zoom camera, I could take this photo of Kate and the Chancellor from the uppper balcony of the gym.  Check back on the blog later when I'll have the official (and better) University photo.  With all the banner, robes, hats, scarves, etc. the ceremony reminded me of Harry Potter at Hogwarts. 



So now Kate has begun her summer of fun.  Then next fall it's off to medical school at Robert Wood Johnson in New Jersey.  Congratulations Kate!  We're proud of you. 

Kate and Grant when we dropped her off as a Freshman.  The four years went fast.  Grant's a little bigger now.  



Vanderbilt must own a lot of plastic chairs.  Here they are set up for a Freshman welcome session four years ago. 

 

This is the same lawn, same chairs four years later set up for graduation.  And this would have been our view of the ceremony if it hadn't rained and transferred events inside. 




Kate in front of the Chi-O house.




Even the hotel got into the graduation act.