Today, after six years of hard work and dedication in the midst of struggle…Tex is OFFICIALLY a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the formidable, rigorous, illustrious, world-renowned Georgia Institute of Technology! *cue applause, strobe lights & confetti*

My man is finally free of his mistress (also known as homework, lab & senior design) and we are one step closer to our happy ending. Or beginning, more like. He is as yet unemployed, but he had some interviews over the past few weeks that went well and hiring cycles are slow, so I remain hopeful. Plus, he now has more time to dedicate to job hunting and engineering is an in-demand field and a growing industry, even in this economy. I’ve been steadily praying over it and I know God has something for him! Tex has worked really hard and he truly has a passion for computer engineering. This is what he’s wanted to do since he was a kid and I’m so excited to see him live out his dreams.

Of course that begs the question, what is my dream? To be happy, I suppose. Honestly, I’m one of those Renaissance folks who was born in the wrong era (or maybe just born too poor, lol). If I were a billionaire I’d spend my days mastering all kinds of different things. Musical instruments, jazz performance, gourmet cooking, writing, traveling, mentoring black youth, lobbying for various causes on Capitol Hill…but since I’m a regular person who has to work for a living, I have to settle on something. I find myself increasingly drawn to the idea of education and education reform. Up until I began studying law, school was my favorite thing in the world. I remember vehemently debating the merits (or lack thereof) of the No Child Left Behind Act when it was first passed–I had to have been in the 8th or 9th grade then, but it was big deal and I combed the newspapers after my parents were through for news of it. I was in the Talented and Gifted program from the fourth grade on, which provided some of my most memorable educational experiences to date. Still, it was an imperfect solution to the limitations of public school. I’d love to teach at a charter or private school (like the Paideia School in Atlanta).

I’ve made up my mind to apply to Teach For America and see where that goes. I also might go ahead and take the GACE anyway and see if I can get hired through the alternative teacher certification process. In most states, if you have a degree in a subject area and had a decent GPA, you can teach without an education degree. My sister teaches music, and I think she has some study materials leftover from when she had to take the test. I’m eligible to get certified for history and political science, and I love those subjects anyway so I know passing the test wouldn’t be a problem. Incidentally, both of those are WAY cheaper than the bar exam. Popular opinion is split on whether people who don’t want to practice should take the bar anyway–some say it’s not worth it, others say it’s an indication of your ability to finish what you started. Aside from the fact that including prep classes, that’s a $4500 investment in something I’ve pretty much established I don’t want to do, it’s a beast of an exam. It’s been such a struggle getting through law school, that I don’t know if I can muster up the motivation a mere week after graduating to 12 hour days of intensive study for eight whole weeks. In law school, at least you have time to do other things you love. In order to pass the bar, you must make it your life. Eat with, sleep with, heck, marry your study materials or else you will be doing it all over again in six months!

My dad offered to front me half the cost. As of today, he’s only given me $150 which I can easily give back–it’s been sitting in my savings account for going on three months now as I’ve been stalling on whether or not to make my official deposit with Kaplan for the prep class. And the clock keeps on ticking…

…but that’s a question I’ll deal with tomorrow. Today, I will bask in the joy of the moment, try not to look stupid in front of my future in-laws & their extended family, and make sure Tex knows I’m incredibly proud of him.