Spring 2013 graduate Stephanie Thompson wrote this commentary and posted it to her blog a few days after graduating from Sinclair Community College with her associate’s degrees in Communication and Communication with an emphasis in Multimedia Journalism.
My final curtain call at Sinclair Community College is taking place. I’ve been at this school since 2009. Never did I imagine I’d end up there and did not plan on it at all, but in the grand scheme of things, I’m glad I did. In the beginning I loathed being there, thinking this is not where I’m suppose to be; I’m suppose to be in film school. That stretched on for a few years before I caved and started enjoying my time and what I was studying. Spending almost four years on a two year degree seems a little discouraging, but I did it and learned some life lessons along the way.
I impart you with some things that Sinclair taught me and made me realize:
• Procrastination is an art form only a few skilled can pull off. If you are not one of those few, do not try it. I’ve spent many sleepless nights writing papers at 2 a.m. that were due the next day and getting passing grades while doing it.
• People do not know how to park. I tried to avoid the parking garage as much as I could, opting to park in Lot K behind Building 13. Turns out, no one can park there either. Sinclair should teach a parking class.
• For the younger kids, college is where you find out what you want to do with your life. Take some classes and go from there. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t know what you want to do with your life.
• Watching people drop out of classes like flies because it’s too hard always leaves you with a good feeling, like ‘hell yeah I can do this!’ It’s even better when you get a passing grade.
• Talk to your instructors. I only established relationships with a few and when I needed a letter of recommendation, it was like I backed myself into a corner.
• Always, and I mean always, have two copies (or more, whatever your preference) of papers, you will need later on.
• Go to class as often as possible. In the end, you are paying for it — so why waste your money?
• Stand on your own two feet. I was fresh out of high school when I arrived at Sinclair, still looking at the world through the eyes of a child. The only experience I had in life was in a small suburb of Cincinnati. For me, Dayton was another ballpark — almost another world. I’d seen how cruel life was to us, I’d seen it chew up my friends and spit them out. Sinclair taught me that I could do this that I had it in me to keep going while everyone else fell to the wayside.
• It provided me with a place where I felt like I belonged. I was privileged enough to also be part of the Clarion while at Sinclair. While there, it felt like I belonged. I’ve rarely ever felt like I belonged, but the Clarion was like a second home.
• You have to look at the big picture. I can’t tell you how many times it felt like I was working toward nothing. You’re not working toward nothing, your working toward a better future for yourself.
• Self-confidence. The more people who supported and told me how good I was doing, the more confident I got and the less I started to doubt my abilities.
• Most importantly, my time at Sinclair taught me that my ideas, opinions and I really matter.
While I say goodbye to Sinclair, there once was a day when I thought I’d never be able to say that and here I am now on the other side of that day. It feels weird, sure. It’s like, ‘what do I do now?’ But now is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I’ve waited for it most of my life, since I was 10 I’ve known I wanted to be a filmmaker and that I wanted to go to film school. Now, my friends, is when I go to film school, when I learn the craft of my heros. Werner Herzog said that if he ever opened a film school he’d make students walk from Madrid to Kiev. Sinclair was metaphorically me walking from Madrid to Kiev. I had to be able to make it through Sinclair before I could make it on my own at a film school.
I wish I could leave you with some grand quote about how life works and about going out there and seizing the day. Carpe Diem. But that’s too cliché, so I’ll leave you with this:
“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you’re uncool” – Lester Bangs