The end of May brought about many things and its own rushed challenges, particularly for those in school. For Sophie and Roland Luwrie, however, it also presented an opportunity for their own success and future. For they had gone through SMU's undergraduate program together, with Sophie graduating with a bachelor's degree in history and a minor in philosophy and then passing the tests to enter SMU's law school while Roland had been an education major. However, while Sophie took on heavier course loads for a major and minor, Roland took a different approach, and mostly to assure that he'd have the grades to qualify for a decent teaching job straight out of college. It meant fewer classes per semester and ultimately pushed back things like his student teaching by a year, but Roland had been able to then get much higher grades that could then be used as part of the application for teaching as Dino City got its school district started in the fall of 2025. That meant that he couldn't graduate with Sophie in 2024.
"The year on the diploma doesn't matter, dear," Sophie said to Roland as she noticed Roland looking at the framed diploma that was presently resting on their bed in the married couple's housing on the SMU campus.
"It's not the year that I'm looking at," Roland gave a laugh and looked to her with a small smile, "more the success that comes along with having the degree. I feel confident that I did well with the PRAXIS testing and should get the certification sometime in the summer, and with these grades, we can be set. No one can complain about getting a position in Dino City wouldn't come from being one of the first Dinotopians..."
Sophie came up and took his hand before nuzzling her beak to his, "Some of that will likely come anyway. Particularly with all the other nonsense going on right now. Right now... we have to get packed. It won't be too long before your parents and Heather get here to help with moving things to what will be our apartment in Dino City, and thus save how much we'll have to then bring from Animalia as part of all that trip."
Roland slowly nodded. Sophie had also finished up her first year in SMU's Dedman School of Law and that would then mean the start of moving things from the married couples residences to the apartment that was waiting for them in Dino City. That was another part of the path toward the future, but he also knew that there were some things that were back in Animalia from both the Albers and Luwrie residences there that they'd need to get and move to the apartment. Thus there was a lot of driving coming up in the immediate future, but they also knew that it would be part of a path forward and their the Luwries were there to help Roland and Sophie, and Heather had volunteered to help a friend. Sophie's parents were likely to be busy with some research work that they'd volunteered to help Horizon and Doctor Ramos with on Ishinowa Island. It would mean that Remington and Vera couldn't help with the move beyond loaning Tyler and Persephone the use of their mini-van, but then to Roland, some of that would be okay. His eyes then drifted to a DVD that Sophie had put together which brought back more memories on his college graduation...
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Roland felt a bit nervous as he lined up with the others that were graduating for the year 2025. Most of them were students that had started at SMU when Sophie and Roland were Sophomores there. There were a few others that were in the same sort of boat as him, in that they didn't take as many classes per semester and thus didn't have the credits to graduate in 2024. Though, most of them were also athletes technically had received decent grades, but had missed enough days of school to sports related commitments that they had to stay on an extra year. He couldn't be sure if this was deliberate or not, as his own academic schedule had kept him fairly busy.
And the past spring had been fairly interesting with his own student teaching. The female teacher that he student taught under had been a bit puzzled as to why a male education major was looking at teaching with students in the elementary and pre-elementary school age range. Roland never really realized he was bucking a proverbial trend and eventually answered that he wanted to provide the same sort of care and guidance that he remembered his own father giving him when he was younger. From there, he also soon found himself the darling of the teacher's students, who called him "Mr. Wings." That added high marks when his period of student teaching finished, as it also seemed to keep them interested in the lessons that he taught.
Now, with everything else done, he was lined up with the rest of the 2025 graduating class in one of the back areas of SMU's basketball stadium. The football stadium was an original option, but weather concerns had forced it to be moved at the last minute. Thankfully there did seem to be enough room. The area where he and the others were in was presently blocked off so that guests and attendees to watch the graduation wouldn't be intermixing with the graduates as they went to their seats. For Roland, that wasn't too much of an issue, as the only ones that were presently here to see him graduate were his wife, Sophie, and their friends the Lopez family, Jackie and his wife, Maya, and their baby, "junior."
"Your folks here?" came a voice from a female graduate behind him, "I saw you with someone earlier..."
Roland looked back, "that was my wife. My parents can't come... as we'll need some help moving things to Dino City after she finishes her first year of law school and that will require some time for travel to and from Animalia. So... we've been looking at some ways so that they could see the graduation."
"A shame they won't let let people record things with their phone for these events," the other graduate shrugged.
"Yeah... but we were able to pre-order DVDs that the college is making," Roland answered, "so hopefully it will look professionally done."
The other graduate gave a joking smile and held up crossed fingers. At about the same time, the teachers and other advisers that were managing things began calling for everyone to get in a tight line and keep things close. Everyone did pack in, and Roland did his best to keep his beak pointed down. It fit more with a relaxed position that way, as his eyes wouldn't be taxed in trying to look through his crest when looking forward that way, but there were still times when some old habits kicked in, often when something surprised him. It made him also make sure his cap wouldn't fall off his head, but that was also something fairly easy.
"Hey... where are your wings?" the graduate behind him asked in a low voice as they began moving forward.
"Under the gown," Roland whispered back, though facing forward as they moved toward where they would enter the main floor where they would sit for the ceremony, "I can raise the bottom of the gown so I can sit down and my wings aren't pulled by the cloth and they'll then straddle the chair I'm supposed to be in."
"I would have thought they'd adjust things for a Dinotopian," the other graduate told him.
"With me being the only one here... I don't think they had reason to alter things," Roland answered, "and while some Dinotopians have had hatchlings... the oldest might still be a year or two away from going to school... Those that will be old enough to start at Dino City next fall are likely children of parents who moved to Dino City to convert and converted as well, likely with only one dose, or are still Human and residing with their Dinotopian parents."
They kept going until they came into the main floor of the arena which was brilliantly lit and with a set platform where many of the college professors and administrators were also in their own robes. Trim and colors matched SMU's colors while there were various decals that had the college's insignia. Roland followed along and looked up into the stands, looking for Sophie. He found her seated up on the second level of the stands, and her black and grey beak stood out from the rest of the Human faces around her. Though, Roland could also see her eyes shining bright with the band of white pycnofibers surrounding them. Jackie and Maya were seated beside her, with "Junior" presently in Maya's lap. He waved to them with one arm, noting that there were others waving to people in the stands as they followed the line to their seats. He also noted a set of rather official looking camera crews that were set up in a spot where they would be facing the main platform.
The progression was careful and had the school's band/orchestra playing the graduation march, and privately, Roland liked that. In 2020 when he and the others graduated from WSA, the effects of the Covid Pandemic were still high and that graduation had been done remotely. There was a "ceremony," but it was all done through Zoom and Skype and no closer interaction. Thus things then felt different. This graduation felt more real as he was able to be around the other graduates for it. The only thing that would have been better would be if he and Sophie were graduating together, but that was more a result of their different academic plans as undergraduates through SMU. Sophie had taken a heavier class load per semester graduated the previous year while now beginning her time in law school, which was post-graduate studies while Roland was graduating from the undergraduate program. Roland could only accept that as he reached his seat and adjusted his robes so that he could sit down without breaking his wings. Once the row was completely filled, everyone in that row sat down.
There then followed the fairly standard things that went along with college graduation. There were guest speakers and speakers from the top graduates of the class. Roland had done well enough academically to be pretty close, but he wasn't at the top. He didn't mind about that, though, mostly as he wasn't one for speechmaking. He quietly sat and listened and then readied himself for when they began going through the graduates to get their degrees. He couldn't help but smile when his name was called. It meant he'd graduated and things could move forward...
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"Well, I don't think we're too far away from being done with packing things up," Roland spoke, "I was just... well, thinking on the DVD from graduation. You paid for it, and they actually got ours sent pretty quick..."
"Because your graduation and the end my freshman year in law school weren't on the same day," Sophie teased him.
"You know what I mean," Roland teased her back and they nuzzled their beaks together.
The tenderness was real, and Roland relished it. A part of him was a bit worried on how things would go the next fall, as Sophie had three more years to finish law school and while Dallas and Glen Rose/Dino City weren't too terribly far apart, it wasn't something that could be done on a commuter basis. Sophie would have to go back to the on campus dorms, as Roland would be in Dino City starting his first year as a teacher. It'd mean they'd be apart, but for the moment that wasn't something to dwell on.
"I was just thinking on how it should be packed," Roland spoke, "do we put it in a box and then give it to my folks when we get back to Animalia to get the things we'd need from there? Or do we give it to them when they arrive while then moving boxes to your parent's mini-van or to whatever vehicle Heather is coming in to help."
"Well... I wouldn't think to give it to Heather," Sophie chuckled, "but it may be best to give it to your parents up front. They've after all wanted to see your graduation. There are places they can put it so that it'd be out of the way and wouldn't get lost in the process of moving. As your diploma and certificates will go with us to our apartment, and copies may need to go to the school with you. If we keep it in that box, it may end up lost with us rather than going to the ones that want to see your graduation and because of the related issues with helping us move couldn't be there on the day you graduated."
Roland nodded just in time to hear the doorbell ring. This brought both of them moving toward the door and finding Tyler and Persephone Luwrie waiting just outside it. In the background, they could also see Heather parking her car on the street.
"You're here early," Roland found himself saying and then mentally kicking himself.
"Well... we couldn't wait to see you," Persephone smiled down to her son and his wife, "as I'm sure you're both getting ready for the next big step."
"Yeah..." Roland answered, "and we're both grateful for the help and all the work you're putting into this." He then held up the DVD that had been recorded of his graduation. "And to add to it, this is my graduation DVD. It looks pretty good."
Persephone smiled again and it wasn't long before Roland found himself being lifted into the air and pulled into a firm hung and with his head and crest being rubbed against the side of his mother's grayish-blue neck.
"Thank you," Persephone said to him, "You don't know how much this means for your father and me."
"I think I do," Roland answered and hugged his mother back, making sure not to drop the DVD.