Published: 9 Jul 2026

Chapter 37 – The Award Ceremonies

On Thursday morning, we headed to the dining hall for breakfast, and then we set off to take our last finals. My final is probably the most difficult of all of the math courses I’ve taken, Combinatorics I, since it’s a graduate level course that I’d chosen as an elective. The only final I’d taken that I felt was more demanding than this one was the Quantum Physics exam that I’d taken on Monday.

After we finished our last exams, we met up at the dining hall for lunch and commiserated over today’s exam, while also celebrating the fact that we didn’t have any more finals to take. Following a quick meal, we rushed back to the house to finish straightening things and making the beds, and then we showered and put on our blue suits. We then waited for our parents to arrive, but they didn’t arrive until 5:00. As soon as we saw Pa’s SUV pull into the driveway, Devin and I rushed out to greet them.

“We expected you’d get here earlier,” I said as Mom handed each of us a garment bag with our new suits inside.

“I couldn’t get a full day off, so by the time I picked up your mother and stopped for lunch, it was already 2:00 by the time we arrived home. Aaron and Doris were already there waiting for us, but your mother and I still had to clean up and change, so we told them to make themselves at home. We then went up to our room to get ready, and when we finished cleaning up and changing, we carried our suitcases downstairs and loaded them into Aaron’s SUV.”

“When will Gramps, Pops, Faith, and Hope be arriving?” Devin asked.

“They told me yesterday that they wouldn’t make it until later tonight, because one of their clients wanted to have a dinner meeting at 6:30, so they’ll be picking up their wives and driving up here after it ends. That means they won’t be arriving until we’ve eaten supper, which reminds me, I have to call Dominick’s and make a reservation.”

As Pa stepped away to make the call, the rest of us chatted, and when he returned, he made a comment. “I hope you boys had a big lunch earlier and it will hold you over for a while, because I made the reservation for 9:00.”

“Yes, we had a large breakfast and a late lunch, so we’ll be fine,” Devil responded.

“Will the rest of you be able to wait that long?” I asked.

“Yes, we all had a good lunch earlier,” Ma answered.

“Ok, but we have a few things in the fridge, so if you’re hungry you can have a snack to tide you over.”

“Thank you, but I believe we’re all fine,” Mom replied as she glanced around at each of the others and they all nodded in agreement.

“Ok, then we should get going if you want to be able to find good seats for the ceremony, because the doors opened at 5:00.”

“I think we should all use the toilet first, so we don’t have to get up and do it during the ceremony.”

“Ok, but make it fast,” Devin said as they were walking up the porch steps and heading toward the front step.

When they returned several minutes later, we headed over to Moby Arena. When we arrived there and entered the arena, we said goodbye to our parents and they went to find a good place to watch the ceremony. Devin and I had to go join the other honors students.

When we got there, we found they were already lining up for the processional into the arena, so we took our places. When Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance March” began to play, we walked into the arena and took our seats. As soon as everyone was in place, the Director of the Honors Program stepped up to the podium. After he introduced himself, he also introduced the other dignitaries seated on the dais, and then he began his opening remarks. When he finished, we, the Honors Graduates, were called up to the dais to be recognized and receive our medallion.

When my name was called, I stepped up to the podium and waited for the Director to begin speaking. “Michael’s Honors Thesis is titled, ‘”How to use software engineering to create a robust, reliable, and automated operation with multi-layered redundancy to prevent the spaceship from getting stranded in deep space’”. Michael has also completed a dual major in Mathematics and Software Engineering and will be graduating Summa Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.978.”

There was a nice round of applause for my achievement as the Director was presenting me with my medallion. After he hung it around my neck, I glanced out at the audience and spotted Mom, Dad, Ma, and Pa all standing and clapping. Once the medallion was in place, the Director shook my hand, and then I left the dais and returned to my seat.

As soon as I left the dais, Devin’s name was announced and he stepped up to the Podium and the Director began speaking. “Devin’s Honors Thesis is titled ‘”Combining Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering expertise in high-speed aerodynamics to create a rocket with improved fuel efficiency and increased reliability’”. He’s completed a dual major in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and will be graduating Summa Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.970.”

Devin also received a nice round of applause for his achievement as the Director was hanging a medallion around his neck, so I turned to look at the audience. Once again, I saw our parents standing and clapping, and as soon as the medallion was in place, the Director shook Devin’s hand before he left the dais, returned to his seat, and sat down next to me. We were both beaming as the ceremony continued.

After the last of the students received their medallions, the Director gave his closing remarks. Before he finished, he also thanked the parents and others in the audience for attending and supporting their child or loved one, since a couple of those graduating were married. As soon as we were able to do so, Devin and I went to meet up with our parents.

They all had huge grins on their faces when we met up with them and immediately wanted to examine our medallions.

“They’re very impressive,” Ma said after looking at Devin’s medal.

“I was so proud of you when the head of the program announced that you were graduating Summa Cum Laude,” Mom followed.

“I think that out of all of the students, you boys accomplished more than any of the others,” Dad added.

“There were a few students that had 4.0 GPAs, though,” I pointed out.

“But they didn’t have a dual major,” Pa pointed out. “I think that makes your achievements more impressive than theirs.”

Devin and I just smiled in appreciation as the others agreed with Pa’s comment, but then he continued.

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to eat, so let’s head out to Dominick’s for supper.”

“Yeah, sounds great,” we all agreed, and then Devin and I took off our caps, gowns, and other regalia and left them in the SUV when we got to the restaurant.

When we entered the building, the maître d’ flashed a big smile as he greeted us. “Mr. Aaron, it’s so nice to see you and your lovely wife again. You and Michael’s parents must be very proud of your sons and are here to celebrate.”

“Yes, we are,” Pa confirmed. “Tonight was the Honors Program Awards and tomorrow we’ll be attending their college’s graduation ceremony.”

“Then it sounds as if your sons did very well.”

“Yes, they did,” all four of them confirmed while smiling at us.

“Your table is ready, so if you’ll please follow me, I’ll lead you there.”

“Thank you, and put us down for a 7:00 reservation for tomorrow night, but make it for ten people, because my dad, uncle, and their wives will be joining us.”

“Pa, you’d better make that 5:45, since the Math Department’s Recognition Ceremony is from 7:30 to 9:30.”

“I stand corrected,” Pa replied.

“I’ll take care of that for you,” the maître d’ as agreed as we were taking our seats, “and it will be nice to see Isaac, Jacob, and their wives again as well. Paul will be your waiter and he’ll be with you shortly.”

While we were looking at the menus, Paul arrived and began filling our water glasses. When he finished, he asked a question.

“Would any of you care for a cocktail before you order?”

“Yes, I think that’s an excellent idea,” Pa replied, and then each of us ordered a drink. While he was gone, we discussed what we were going to have.

“There are so many tempting things to choose from,” Mom stated.

“Yes, so you can select one tonight and another tomorrow,” Pa replied.

“Or two of us can order different entrees and then share them,” Dad suggested.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Mom concurred. “That way we’ll be able to try four different entrees before we return home.”

The rest of us all agreed to do the same thing, and we also planned on doing the same thing tomorrow.

“What time is your ceremony tomorrow, Devin?” Pa asked.

“Tomorrow morning the Engineering Recognition Ceremony will be held from 8:00 to 10:00 at the same place we were at tonight,” Devin answered.

“Then we’ll arrive to pick you up at 6:15 to take you out for breakfast. My dad and granddad can follow us, and then after the ceremony, we’ll have time to take a nap before lunch, if we’re still tired.”

When we finished eating, Paul returned to the table with a tray that had several dishes and a cake on it. “What’s this?” Pa asked. “We didn’t order anything.”

“This is compliments of the house,” Paul responded, and then he sat the cake between Devin and me. It was a round cake and along the outer edge was written “Congratulations”.

“Would you like me to slice it for you,” Paul offered, “or would one of you prefer to do it?”

Devin and I looked at each other quickly, and then we replied in unison. “You can do it.”

Paul sliced the cake, placed the slices on dessert plates, and then gave each of us a plate. It was a double chocolate cake and it was delicious.

As soon as Paul finished doing that, Pa called him over and asked to bring the check. He also asked Paul place the leftover cake in a takeout container for us.

“That’s a good idea, Dad, and we can offer Gramps, Pops, Faith, and Hope a slice when we get back to the house,”

“Aaron, I’ll split the tab with you, so just let me know how much it is,” Dad offered.

“That’s not necessary,” Pa replied. “I already gave the waiter my credit card when I asked for the check.”

“But I can still split it with you.”

“No, I want to do this.”

Dad relented, since Pa was so insistent, and once he’d signed the receipt, we left the restaurant, got in Pa’s SUV, and he drove us back to the house. Gramps SUV was parked in the driveway when we arrived, so Pa parked behind it and we all got out and went inside. The others quickly stood up and walked over to greet us.

“Congratulation, Devin and Mac,” they said as we entered, and after we set down the things we were carrying, they either shook our hand or gave us a hug.

“Dominick’s brought out a cake that had Congratulations written on it, and we brought what was left of the cake with us. Would any of you like a slice?” Devin asked.

“What kind of cake is it?” Hope asked.

“It’s a double chocolate cake and it’s really good.”

“Oh, that sounds scrumptious,” she replied, and the others agreed.

“Devin, I’m going to take it out to the kitchen and I’ll prepare a plate for each one while you and Mac tell them about the ceremony. I’ll bring the plates in when I’m done,” my mom said.

“I’ll help you with it,” Ma offered, and then they walked out of the room.

“Before you begin,” Gramps said, “I want to apologize for not getting here in time for tonight’s ceremony, but my dad and I had to attend a business dinner earlier. I also noticed the caps and gowns you were carrying when you entered the house and I know what that color indicates, but you’d better explain it the others.”

Devin then filled them in about the significance of the gold caps and gowns, and then he told them what happened at the ceremony. Ma and Mom returned as he was finishing up, and each one was carrying a plate in each hand. Ma gave the plates she was carrying to Pops and Hope, along with forks, and Mom did the same with Gramps and Faith. As they were eating, Devin and I went over to retrieve our medallions so we could show them to the others.

“Those are very impressive,” Faith stated as she looked at the one Devin was holding.

“Yes, they are and you both must be very proud of them,” Hope concurred, and we merely nodded in response

“So, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Pops asked.

Devin then explained about the College of Engineering Recognition Ceremony. “The ceremony will be from 8:00 to 10:00 and it’s our official graduation ceremony.”

“I can’t wait to see you walk across the stage,” Pops responded,

“Thanks, but it will be strange not having to return here in the fall,” Devin replied. “And now I’ll let Mac tell you about the math department’s ceremony.”

I then did something similar when telling them about my graduation ceremony. “The Math Department is part of the College of Natural Sciences, and our ceremony will be held tomorrow night from 7:30 to 9:00.”

When we finished filling the others in about what to expect, we all agreed to turn in. Before our parents left, however, Pa informed the others about the time they’d be back in the morning so we could go out for breakfast. When he finished, we said goodnight to each other, and then our parents left to go back to their rooms at the Quality Inn.

After they’d gone, Devin and I told the others that they could use the upstairs bathroom to get ready for bed and we’d use the downstairs bathroom. We also told them we’d do the same thing for the rest of the time they were here.

“It’s very thoughtful of you,” Faith responded.

“And it will save us from constantly running up and down the stairs,” Hope added.

We merely smiled, and then Devin and I went upstairs to get what we needed. After we carried everything to the downstairs bathroom, we went through our nightly ablutions. When we finished, we went to our bedroom and I grabbed my phone so I could set my alarm.

“Do you think 5:30 will give us enough time to get ready in the morning, or should I set the alarm for 5:00?” I asked Devin.

“Five-thirty will be fine. We can take quick showers before we get dressed, and I’ll wear my new suit. You don’t have to get dressed up until later, so you can just wear a sport coat to my ceremony.”

“Ok, that works for me,” I confirmed, and then we got in bed, cuddled, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

We were all ready and waiting in the living room when our parents got to the house in the morning to take us to breakfast. As Devin and I were getting into Pa’s SUV, the others all loaded into Gramps’ SUV and followed Pa to the restaurant. It was another one that Gramps and Pops had taken us to on previous visits.

After we ordered, our parents wanted to know if we’d all had a good night’s sleep, and then Gramps asked a question. “Since you boys are graduating Summa Cum Laude, I was wondering if either of you were named Valedictorian or Salutatorian for your department.”

“No, we learned last night that we didn’t get either,” Devin replied.

“If you just took your finals last week, the professors must have spent a lot of time calculating the grades for the graduating class,” Hope stated.

“The professors were given a list of the top 5% of student with GPAs that might put them in the running for each department and told them to have those grades entered in the computer by midnight last night. The information was then sent to our student accounts and we looked at them quickly this morning. The Engineering Valedictorian had a 3.995 GPA and the Salutatorian had a 3.988 GPA.”

“What was your GPA?” Faith asked.

“Mine was 3.970.”

“Wow you were pretty close then!” she responded.

“And I’d be willing to bet that neither of them had a dual major,” Gramps added.

“Yeah, probably not.”

“How about you, Mac?” Pops followed.

“Both of them from the College of Natural Sciences had 4.0 GPAs,” I answered.

“Then how did they know which one got the top ranking?”

“I guess every course we take is rated for difficulty, so when there’s a tie, the college goes by the average ranking for all of the courses the student has taken.”

“What was your GPA?” Hope asked.

“I had a 3.978 GPA.”

“So, you had a higher GPA than Devin.”

“Not by much, and I think the average difficulty of the courses he was taking were probably rated higher than the courses I took.”

“Well, you both did very well and we’re very proud of you,” Pops said, and then everyone at our table agreed with him.

After we finished a very filling and tasty breakfast, we headed over to Moby Arena. When we arrived there, Devin had to leave and join the other graduates from his department, so I went with our group to find seats with the best view. That’s when I first noticed Pa was carrying his special camera.

“Damn, I didn’t know you were bringing that here this weekend,” I said.

“I wanted to have it so I could take photos of each of you at the various ceremonies,” he replied.

“I thought you’d just use your phone. Did you take photos last night?”

“Of course I did.”

“Damn, I didn’t even realize you had it with you.”

“You had too much else on your mind to notice what I had with me.”

“Yeah, I guess Devin and I both did, since he didn’t mention it either.”

Eventually, the Engineering students that were being recognized today marched into the arena and took their seats. After the Dean of the Engineering Department stepped up to the podium, he introduced himself and gave a few brief welcoming remarks. He followed that by introducing the other individuals sitting on the dais, mostly professors emeritus, which means they have retired from their full-time tenured position and are no longer part of the active faculty. He also introduced one of the longest serving Mechanical Engineering faculty members, who was going to give the welcoming address.

When he finished speaking, the Dean stood up, shook his hand, and returned to the podium. “It is obvious that you’re all here to honor your child or loved one who’s graduating today, and this is indeed a very special group of engineers who are about to begin their careers. It is now my great privilege to congratulate each of them individually as they join me at the podium.”

As each graduate stepped onto the dais, the announcer stated their full name, their academic degree and major, any Latin honors they’d attained, followed by any other academic, military, or other honors they’d earned. The Dean would then hand them a diploma cover with his left hand and use his right hand to shake their hand. Once each of those steps had been completed, the graduate would reach up and move the tassel on his cap from the right side to the left. It was a symbolic gesture to acknowledge they were no longer a graduand, someone who has completed course requirements, to a graduate, someone who officially holds a degree.

When Devin began walking toward the podium, the announcer made the following remarks. “Devin Aaron McCaskill, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Summa Cum Laude, and Honors Graduate.” The Dean then handed Devin his diploma cover and shook his hand, as Pa snapped a couple of photos in rapid succession. As Devin stepped forward, he looked into the audience as he moved the tassel on his cap from the right side to the left, and Pa took a few more photos, including some more as he was leaving the dais.

I stood up and clapped as soon as Devin’s name was announced, and until the announcer was reading the next name. I did the same when Jason, Andy, and Hunter’s names were called, seeing they were the three guys that we went to the football games with. Devin had met each of them in one of his classes and then introduced them to me, and we’d all become good friends. In fact, they were on the invitation list for our wedding.

After the ceremony ended, Pa took some additional photos of Devin standing next to his mom, more of Devin with his grandfathers and their wives. After that, he took photos of me standing with Devin, and then he had my parents join us for a few more photos, and after that he had me step aside so he could take more photos of Devin with just my parents. When he was finished, I offered to take photos of him and Devin, him, Ma, and Devin, and then a couple more photos of Devin and everyone else. When I’d taken the last one, he told the others to remain where they were, and he had me join them so he could take a few more photos.

As soon as all of the photos were taken, we got back into the SUVs and returned to the house. Once we arrived there, I headed into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, while Devin got out ten mugs. I was grateful that Gramps and Pops had a lot of dishes in the cupboards, because Devin was able to find enough mugs to go around.

Once the coffee was brewing, we left the mugs on the counter and went back to the living room to join the others. After waiting for the coffee to brew, we returned to the kitchen to fill the mugs. As I poured the coffee, Devin placed the first five mugs on one of the two trays he got out for us to use, before placing the next five mugs on the second tray, and then we carried them into the living room. When we arrived there, we set the trays down on the coffee table and everyone took a mug. We then sat around and chatted as we sipped the coffee and waited to go out for lunch.

“I am so proud of both of you,” Ma told Devin. “I even heard some appreciative murmurs from others sitting near us when your name and accomplishments were read. They obviously realized how difficult it must have been to have a dual major and be able to graduate with the highest level of distinction.

“I’m proud of both of you too,” Pa followed.

“That goes for us too,” Dad added, speaking for him and Mom.

“We all are,” the others concurred.

“You know, we probably shouldn’t be drinking coffee if we’re planning on taking a nap after lunch,” Mom stated, “seeing I no longer feel it’s a possible to do it before lunch.

“I don’t think one cup will keep us up, since we didn’t get much sleep last night,” Ma countered.

“Maybe not, but we probably should have something else to drink with our meals,” Mom followed.

“You’re right,” Ma agreed, “and we can see what else they have to drink.”

“And if we don’t find anything we like, then we can always drink water,” Pa suggested.

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Dad concurred, and then we finished our coffee before heading out to eat.

Pa drove us to a different restaurant this time, with the others following behind, and we had a very nice lunch. We ordered a variety of dishes and happily shared again, and when we finished eating, Gramps told Devin and me to ride with them, so our parents could return to the motel.

“We’ll pick you up around a quarter past five,” Pa told us before we parted ways. “If you’re planning on taking a nap, be sure to set your alarm first, because you’ll need to be dressed and ready when we arrive.” I knew that comment was directed toward Devin and me, but the others responded with a nod as well.

“Ok, we’ll be ready,” Devin and I confirmed, and Pa smiled before he got in his SUV and pulled away.

When we arrived at the house, Devin and I went directly to our room, undressed, and hung our clothes. While we were doing that, I asked Devin a question.

“Do you think I should set the alarm on my phone for 4:00 or 4:30?”

“Let’s split the difference and say 4:15.”

I then set the alarm and we got in bed, cuddled, and drifted off to sleep. We were too exhausted for the coffee to have any effect.

When the alarm went off, we both got up, slipped on a pair of shorts, and headed downstairs to brush our teeth and take a quick shower. When we finished, we went back to our room and I put on my new suit, while Devin wore a sport coat. When we were ready, we went downstairs and waited with the others for Pa to arrive.

He pulled into the driveway a few minutes before the time he’d told us, but it didn’t matter, because we were all ready. We immediately walked outside, and Devin and I got in the SUV with our parents as the others got into Gramps’ SUV. After everyone was safely buckled in their seats, we headed to Dominick’s for an early supper.

The maître d’ greeted us warmly again, but spent most of his time speaking with Gramps and Pops. “Isaac and Jacob, it’s so nice to see you and your lovely wives again.”

“It’s nice to see you too, old friend,” Pops replied, “and we’re looking forward to one of Dominick’s fantastic meals.” The Matre ‘d smiled and then addressed all of us.

“I hope the ceremony last night went well and all of you have enjoyed a nice day so far.” We all nodded or murmured in response and then the maître d’ continued. “Your table is ready, although it’s not like there’s a waiting line at this early hour.”

“We wouldn’t usually eat this early, but the timing of the next ceremony forced our hand,” Pa replied.

“I understand, so if you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you to your table. Will you require another reservation for tomorrow?”

“Yes, we’ll make it a lunch reservation, so we can have one more wonderful meal here before we head home. The campus-wide graduation is being held from 10:00 to 11:30, so could you put us down for a flexible reservation between 12:00 and 1:00? I’m worried the ceremony may run over and traffic will likely be a problem as well, so I hope you can do that for us.”

“Of course I will. It’s certainly not a problem for some of our most favorite and valued friends. Beth will be your server today.”

Just like last night, each couple ordered separate entrees that they’d share, and Gramps, Pops, and their wives did the same. As we waited for our meals to be delivered, Gramps made a comment.

“Aaron told us that you’re going to use Heritage Auctions for the baseball cards, so I’ve been looking at the coins so I can select an assortment of the most valuable ones to be auctioned off. That way you can sell them all at the same auction.”

“That would work out nicely, so I’ll call and speak with them when we get back from our rafting trip to set up a date. I’m looking at mid-July right now, since we’ll have a lot going on before then.”

“That’s not a problem, and I’ve already taken out an ad in a couple of magazines to sell some of the less valuable coins. I plan to auction off a selection of the mid-range coins on eBay.”

“That’s awesome and we really appreciate your help,” Devin replied.

When our meals arrived, we all enjoyed another delicious meal, and to our surprise, Pops picked up the entire tab.

“Don’t you want us to chip in?” Dad asked.

“No, this is my treat. I’m very proud of these two and I want to do it to honor their accomplishments and the wonderful parents who raised two remarkable young men. Besides, you’re all part of our family now, even if they haven’t exchanged vows yet.”

“Thank you,” each of us responded.

As soon as Pops signed the receipt, we headed over to Moby Arena again, and this ceremony went basically the same as the one we were at earlier, except Devin’s and my roles were reversed. The Dean of the Mathematics Department started the ceremony by introducing himself, and then he introduced the others on the dais, before giving a few welcoming remarks. When he finished, Dr. Lerner, my academic advisor and favorite Math professor, gave the welcoming address.

“I volunteered to give this address today, because these are not only some of the brightest students I’ve ever had the privilege of teaching, but they’re also standouts in other ways. This is the most socially conscious group of students I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Some of them are active in the community, others with charitable groups, while still others are involved with political organizations, but most are active in more than one way. The country, and the world, will benefit from their involvement and I wish them all much success and long lives.”

When Dr. Lerner completed his remarks, he took a seat on the dais and the first of our class made their way onto the dais. When it was my turn, the announcer began by stating my name. “Michael Alexander MacPherson, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Software Engineering, Summa Cum Laude, and Honors Graduate.”

When he finished speaking, the Dean handed me a diploma cover with his left hand and shook my right hand at the same time. The audience began clapping at this point, and I assumed Pa was busy snapping photos of me, so I turned toward the crowd and scanned it to see if I could spot him. I also moved the tassel from the right side of my cap to the left, and then I walked off the dais and returned to my seat.

As soon as the ceremony ended, Pa had me pose for as many photos as he’d taken of Devin after his ceremony, and then Devin took a few photos so Pa could get into some of the photos with us. Faith and Hope volunteered to take more photos so everyone else could get in a photo with me. They’d both volunteered so they could help each other, since neither of them had ever used a camera as sophisticated as Pa’s. They felt that if they both did it, if one of them messed up, then hopefully the other would have taken good photos, since they each took two photos to increase the odds of being successful.

Once they were through taking photos, Gramps offered to have Devin and me ride with them, so our parents could go directly from here to the Quality Inn, since we all agreed to call it a night.

“I appreciate this,” Pa said, “and we’ll come to the house at 8:00 so we can go out for breakfast before heading over to Canvas Stadium for the campus-wide graduation ceremony.”

We all then bid our parents goodnight and said we’d see them in the morning, and then we got in Gramps SUV to go back to the house with them. I think we were all looking forward to getting ready for bed and enjoying a good night’s sleep.

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