End of December means we are celebrating the last round of graduations for the year. Master of Marketing student, Alvaro Fuentes, gives the Wise ASSC blog a behind-the-scenes look at the excitement of graduation day.
It’s 6am, the sky is still dark.
It’s quite difficult to rise early during semester break. However, today is a special day for some students and I’m invited to the party. It’s been one year since I started as an employee of the graduation team and let me tell you, it is the most amazing experience you can have!
All graduations are different, some are massive, others are small and cozy. One time we had a marriage proposal. Sometimes a celebrity gets a doctorate degree and last year we had the university celebrate its 50th anniversary.
There’s no doubt about it — graduations are special, and today is no exception. Today we are going to host around 900 invitees and graduates, with only eight of us in charge of the logistics at the venue. Our objective is to make it the most wonderful experience for all those proud graduates, parents, boyfriends, girlfriends, partners, friends and more.
Despite this, there is some nervousness in the air because there are many variables to take into account. We have to synchronize the venue, music, graduates and invitees accordingly to the different phases of the ceremony. Then there is ensuring we deliver excellent customer service to parents, friends and invitees by providing clear explanations about where the ceremony will be held, where the graduates can get their gowns, how to get into the Eagle, etc. In addition, we have to drive the buggy and make sure we don’t crash!
But the whole team is synchronized and working as one. Buggy drivers, ushers, First Aid, the floor supervisor and venue managers encompass a team who is responsible for ensuring each graduation is a unique experience.
It is amazing to talk with invitees and hear how proud they are of their “child”. For example, some grandmas are proud of their grandchildren who are the first ones in the family to obtain a degree. Some parents have traveled for hours from regional areas to be here, and some other parents have even come from overseas to witness their children’s achievements.
To sum up, graduations indeed require a lot of preparation and organization that may not be visible at first sight. However, it is an amazing experience for everyone who is involved: graduates, parents, friends, and the whole venue management team. Moreover, being part of that and being able to witness all the joy that comes from each ceremony brings an awesome sense of satisfaction for making such a special day come to fruition.
Next semester is my last one and I’m looking forward to living the graduation experience from a different perspective by being on the other side of the ceremony. Despite it being too soon, I thank all the graduation team for the passion and commitment that they put into each graduation to make it unique and amazing for everyone.