The Robin Family: Graduation

On Saturday December 19th I walked across the stage to accept my Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am the first in my family to go to college and graduate. From my understanding I am also the youngest to graduate with a Masters degree on at least Jason's mom side of the family.

This has been an exhausting, exciting, and rewarding time in my life. When I met Jason nine years ago going to college had never entered my mind. With his support and encouragement I applied to a few Universities a few months before the Fall semester was to begin. In 2002 I began my journey as a college student at The University of North Texas. After my first two years I decided to focus on Psychology as my major. Four years later I graduated from UNT with a BA in Psychology.

During my last year at UNT I decided to apply to a Masters program. There was only one accredited Family Therapy program in Houston and only four accredited Family therapy programs in Texas. At the time Jason was in China and had been for that past 8 months. When he returned in August he would be living in Houston. Getting into this program was important to me for a lot of reason. I wanted this to be my career, and I wanted to be in a program that was in the same city as Jason.

I applied to the program hoping to get in and not having a plan B if I did not. I was one of 250 applicants who applied to that program that year. Out of those 250 applicants the program asked 50 to come in for an interview. Out of those 50 applicants the program that year only accepted 20 new students. I was one of the students accepted.

Two weeks after I graduated from UNT Jason moved back to Texas, together we moved to Houston, and I started the Masters program two weeks after walking the stage to get my undergraduate diploma. A month after living together and at that time 7 years of being together Jason asked me to marry him. During my time in the Masters program I went from being Jason's girlfriend, to a fiancée, to being married, and finally being a mom. This is why it has been an exhausting, exciting, and rewarding time in my life and I LOVE every moment of it.

Here are some photos from that day.

John hanging out on Nana.