I turned in my last paper on December 16, and I officially graduate on May 11 of this year. I now occupy the time between official completion and the time when I celebrate the work I did over the last year and half. It is a Saturday in January and I am at home, with no lectures to attend and no class assignments to worry about. It is hard to believe how much has happened since I received the first packet of pre-reading material in April 2011.

The first weeks of pre-reading were riddled with anxiety about my ability to complete the work required for the program. The first residency was filled with excitement about the people I would meet and what we would learn together. The sessions between residencies were filled with sleepless nights trying to keep up with work, family, and school. There was so much going on — what will I miss the most?

Final Moments

The last day of our elective term came on Friday, October 5, 2012. My last class ended late in the afternoon that day. Down the hall in the Fox Center, my last Fuqua Friday was kicking off and students were starting their weekend with some beers and pleasant conversation. In that class, on that day, the students willed the clock to move a little more quickly. At the end of the lecture we shook hands with the professor, Rob Hallford and filed out into the halls of Fuqua.

The next morning I wandered over to Breeden Hall to clear out my locker. On the way I walked into Dansby, one of the two lecture halls we used throughout the program. I sat in the third row, two seats from the end, and soaked in the environment. I had attended what will likely be the last real class of the last degree I will ever receive. For a moment I did not want to let it go.

There are many things I will miss from my time at Fuqua, but what I will miss most are the people: students and professors alike. We were able to come together for a brief period in our lives to help each other learn and become better, whatever our occupation. Right now I take comfort in knowing that those relationships will not end, and I am looking forward to seeing my friends from the program again in a few short months.

Congratulations to everyone in the Weekend Executive MBA Class of 2012! I sincerely hope to see you all again soon.