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

side of the auditorium—one person clapping, then another—and then it spread rapidly, rolling through the crowd like thunder following lightning. People stood. Some shouted encouragement. Others wiped their eyes while still applauding. The sound rose and rose, filling spaces I’d been convinced would only echo with emptiness.

I stepped back from the podium,continue reading …