I consider myself old.  I am not sure if it is because I am married, a mother, maybe because I have been out of high school for almost 15 years.

Oh no, I remember now.  I consider myself old because my little sister just graduated high school.

I can remember when she was born.  I was 14 years old and pretty weirded out by the whole thing.  I was an only child until that day.  While it wasn’t the easiest thing for me to understand, I think I took to her quite nicely and we grew up together for about 4 years before I left home.  I returned again only a few years later, where we picked up growing our relationship.

She always seemed to look up to me.  I try to constantly be a good example for her… Sometimes, I am not the best at it.

The one thing I have tried SO HARD to impress on her, is to go away to school for FOUR years and finish those 4 years with a bachelors degree.  Anything.  Really.

I graduated in 1997.  I went to community college part time for 8 years.  EIGHT years. I could have had a masters by then!!!  I wasn’t able to afford college right out of high school and did not understand the ease of the student loan process.  I also couldn’t get my parents to help me fill out their part of the damn FASFA.  Anyhow, I was finally able to graduate with an associate and bachelors degree by 2007.  TEN YEARS after I graduated high school.

My sister has decided to attend Oakland University.  She is going to stay on campus.  I could not be more happy for her. I am so happy she is going to stay on campus and has a plan to graduate in 4 years with a bachelor is “something-to-do-with-asian-studies”.

I look forward to getting to help her get through these next four years, hopefully I will have great advice for her even though I didn’t exactly live the same kind of moments that she might get to have!