At last, the countdown had finally ended.  All of the stress and hard work had finally culminated into this day.  The class of 2002 gathered themselves one last time to celebrate their achievement as a family before they embarked on their journey into the real world.  The day was filled with many emotions as many memories were recalled during the joyful day. 

Cynthia Barbe led her class one last time as she recalled the trials and tribulations of the class’ past two years.  A slide show showed family members some of the “PT school” experiences as the graduates sat sheepishly in their seats and laughed or reminisced about some of their “finer” moments in school.  The slide show was both sentimental and comical as it portrayed the progression of the class of 2002 from bewildered first year students to professional physical therapists.

Dr. Cole Galloway was the elected speaker at graduation, in which he delivered a speech that provoked both reflection and introspection.  Dr. Galloway spoke highly of the class and highlighted some of the adventures that lay before the graduating class as they enter into the professional world.  An important message of the speech was the impact that each and every member of the class of 2002 was going to have on a person's life as a physical therapist.  Dr. Galloway bid them well and good luck in meeting the challenges that they were about to encounter.

Brian Murray, the class-elected speaker, delivered a speech that conveyed an important message to his fellow classmates and thanked them for their support over the last two years.  The speech was filled with anecdotal humor and various quotations that truly conveyed the class personality and the tight bond between its members. 

The class of 2002 thanked the UDPT department with a few gifts to show their appreciation.  Each faculty member was given an engraved license plate and a coffee mug to thank them for their knowledge and patience.  The class also presented a bookshelf to the clinic, which now is the home for the various joint models that are used for educating students and patients.  The bookshelf was a welcomed gift to the newly renovated clinic. 

The day commenced with each student receiving his or her diploma, while the priceless moment was captured with a photograph.  The ceremony moved to a nice reception in the lobby in Clayton hall, in which all graduates were able to breathe a sigh of relief and share the moment with their family members.  All of the family members were also relieved, as they no longer had to hear the whines and complaints about the stresses of PT school.  The class of 2002 ended the day with one more gathering at Klondike Kate’s where they spent the night toasting, reminiscing, and by late-night “cuttin’ the rug.”  The class said all of their tearful good-byes as they each went to embark on their new journey… finding a job!