They Missed My PhD Graduation—So I Used The Empty Seats To Tell The Truth

no one else consistently remembered to. We learned to stop shrinking our victories down to fit other people’s limited attention spans.”

I could feel tears pressing at the back of my eyes now. I blinked deliberately, and one slipped free. I let it fall unchecked.

“I stand here today,” I said, my voice carrying to every corner of the auditorium, “as someone continue reading …