"I'll leave you all with this last bit of advice." My father's gaze briefly lands on me before returning to the rest of the student body. "Don't just break the glass ceiling, repair it." He glances at the university president and with a slight nod, the commencement speaker turns his head back to us. "With all that being said, I want to be the first to congratulate Seaside University's graduating class of 2024! Soar beyond the stars, and may your dreams reach farther than Pluto!"
Laughs from us and the audience behind us fill the massive auditorium, and we all proceed out, tapping the outstretched wings of the bronze owl statue in the center of the quad, signifying the end of our journey.
I take out my phone and make one last change to my list.
Graduate summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering & computer science.
Win the Wayfinder Tech Competition.
Become the first Black (& queer) astronaut on Mars.
Stay in San Francisco.
Keep Aidan in my life.
After I'm sure that I have talked and congratulated my peers, arms enclose me from behind, and he kisses me on my cheek.
"You ready to do this?"
Leaning my head back to face him, I meet the same dark green eyes of the boy I fell in love with one year ago, across the hall in room 407B.
I smile. "Born ready."
YOU ARE READING
The Silicon Valley Connection
RomanceCollege junior Faith Sommers is all about processes--a series of steps followed (sometimes often repeated) in order to yield a certain result. As an aspiring astronaut, the founder of her own tech company, and a full-time engineering student, proced...
