Congratulations to Son-in-Law, Gregorio, on Earning his Master’s Degree!

Gregorio, my oldest daughter Sarah’s husband, earned his Master’s degree from Cal State LA on Monday, May 18th. Our family gathered, along with Gregorio’s mom and stepdad from Ensenada, Mexico, to celebrate this wonderful accomplishment.

Thirteen years have passed since Gregorio began this process, and during that time, he helped Sarah through medical school and residency, became the father of three kids, worked full-time in archeological jobs while attending school at night, slowly worked on his thesis, and coached soccer for his kids’ teams. But on Monday, all that effort came to fruition when the university president handed him that long-sought-after Master’s degree.

Gregorio, who now works at Cal State LA in the Anthropology/Archeology Department, made it through the multiple obstacles in his path, and his perseverance has paid off. Good for you, Gregorio. Others might have quit, but you did not. And in the meantime, you have become a well-known member of the California archeological/anthropology community, which demonstrates your passion for your chosen fields.

I am so proud of you and pleased for you. Hooray!

And as it turned out, Billy Jean King was the keynote speaker at the graduation, where she was receiving her Bachelor’s degree in History at 82. She started at Cal State LA sixty years ago, and said she wanted to finish what she had started.

As Gregorio said, “At least there was someone there who took longer than I did!”

Congratulations, my dear.

Here are a few fuzzy but sweet photos of the event.

The whole family with the Cal State President