Last week, I wrote about some of the gifts that Palo Alto University (PAU) gave me during my three years as a student: community, advocacy, and confidence. However, there was one more gift waiting for me.
During commencement week, I was honored to receive a PAU Stars Award. While I attended the awards ceremony knowing that I would be recognized as a recipient, the specific category was kept a surprise until the announcement was made.
To my delight, I was selected for the Outstanding Student Award, an honor that recognizes a student who exemplifies PAU’s commitment to innovation through collaboration, leadership, service, and a dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Thank you to those who nominated me for this recognition. Receiving this award is a special way to close my time at PAU as a student.
But the award was only one part of an unforgettable week.
I had the opportunity to spend time with classmates, professors, family, and friends. I celebrated graduation under a bright California sun and enjoyed every moment of a week filled with love, accomplishment, and pride.
When I began this journey three years ago, I promised myself that if I was going to do this, I would experience it fully.
And I did.
Throughout my time at PAU, I never missed a class, even when work took me out of town. I logged in from hotel rooms and conference locations because I wanted to be present.
What I am most proud of is giving myself permission to participate fully in the experience. That included classroom discussions, group projects, and yes, even the countless text messages with friends that often dissolved into laughter, sometimes forcing me to close my camera during class to avoid distracting others.
As I close this chapter, I am excited about what comes next. There are new opportunities ahead, new challenges to embrace, and new ways to continue growing as a counselor and as a person.
For now, however, I am taking a break.
I plan to use this time to rest, recharge, reorganize my schedule, and perhaps finally clean my desk. After three years of balancing work, graduate school, internship responsibilities, and life in a chaotic world, a brief pause feels well earned.
I will return on the first Tuesday of August with an update on what this next phase looks like.
Until then, thank you for following along on this journey. Your support, encouragement, and readership have meant more than you know.
See you in August.
Roque Neto 