It Has Been Almost a Decade Since I Graduated College.
The last time I was an undergraduate at Occidental College in L.A. was in December of 2016. On the 18th of that month, I officially graduated, and in May of 2017 I walked across the stage at Oxy’s big ceremony in my cap and gown, with my family cheering me on from the sidelines.
I simply cannot believe that, as of this December, it will have been a full decade since I was last in college. For some reason it does not subjectively seem to have been this long—however, much has happened during this time.
I have made many new friends since I was at Oxy. Shortly after graduation, I went to a LGBT social group in Ventura called Thrive, which is where I made friends who I still communicate with to this day. Even though Thrive was officially shut down way back during COVID, in some ways I feel as though I have never left.
I also went on a Birthright trip to Israel, way back at the end of 2017. This excursion was very formative for me, and I would love to go back there one day. I feel that I both strongly bonded with my fellow participants and very much enjoyed each and every attraction that we explored. As I type this, I am looking at my framed picture of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, which is a major Jewish holy site.
Since I was in undergrad, I have also taken up running. My dad has run for years, and one day, he drove us down to the beach in Ventura and we jogged for just a mile. After that, I was hooked. In 2024, all of our practice and efforts culminated in me running my very first 10K. This was one of the best life experiences I have ever had! To this day, I continue to run regularly.
As you probably also know, I have been very active within Toastmasters. I was an Area Director during the 2024-2025 session, and am now serving as Co-President of my local club, Ventura Toastmasters. I am very close to getting my Distinguished Toastmaster credential, which is the highest accolade obtainable within Toastmasters.
One mere blog post is simply not enough to adequately address all the things that I have done since I left Occidental. Even to this day, I have very strong and fond memories of my time there. As long as there is breath in my body, I will always be a Tiger.
Early next month, my ten-year reunion takes place on campus. I am so excited to run into some of my friends there. The campus is simply majestic as well. Time can be a fickle thing. Even though I know intellectually that it has been a decade since I was last a college student, when I visit Oxy in early June, it will feel in a way like going home.
Me at my Occidental graduation in May of 2017.