Chad's Graduation

On Friday, Chad finally graduated with his 2nd Masters Degree. The first one he received in Education from Westminster College and his second is from Neumont University with a Masters in Computer Science.  Professionally, he is now Chad T. Coon, M Ed, MSCS.  Chad is the first person in his family to go to college and to obtain a Bachelors Degree, as well as a Masters Degree and Now 2 Masters Degrees.  I am so proud of him and the example he is to his family.  Graduation from college is a mighty accomplishment, but I think Chad deserves an extra commendation for the difficult program he completed.  To give you a little background, when he started, he had absolutely no Computer Science experience.  The University faculty decided that because of his previous Masters Degree, all of the background pre-requisite classes most people would have been required to attend were waived.  To give you an idea, his first class was Number 3 in a series of 3, when he hadn't had classes 1 and 2. Lets just say he was thrown right in to the deep end of the pool. A few qualities Chad has that definitely shined through during this time were his patience and his fortitude.  He spent MANY long, diligent hours working on his course work, using his Education background to research and propose new programs that were implemented by the University as well as spending much of his own time reading and learning the things he needed to have as background knowledge to succeed in the classes he was taking.  There were times that if I had been in his place I would have wanted to throw in the towel, but Chad stuck to it, and not only finished but excelled. All this while we welcomed Tanner and Grant into our family, the NUMEROUS health problems our family dealt with, including but not limited to Seizures, Gestational Diabetes, Kidney Stones, Diabetes, Stitches, Staples, Ear Infections, Ear Tube Surgery, the list could go on and on.  Also, Working full time as a teacher at Cyprus High School, teaching a few different areas of study in the English Department, having only 1 prep period for 7 classes, as well as being the Ward Clerk, which involved being gone most of the day every Sunday, and most importantly, being a supportive husband and a wonderful father to our 3 energetic children.  What a great example he is to our boys. What can I say, Chad is amazing!!  I want to be just like him when I grow up. :) 

Chad receiving his "Hood"

Being congratulated by the President and Keynote Speaker
 

Chad with his proud parents Tom and Karen

Chad and I

The program for graduation

And last, but not least, the "attempted" family picture with Daddy in his costume (as McKay called it) 

 *Someday we'll have a picture with everyone looking at the camera*