JENNIFER K MAHAL -- EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

I didn’t wear a cap and gown. And I didn’t have to line up in

alphabetical order in the hot sun. But I did walk in a graduation

ceremony this week, and what amazed me the most was that it felt like the

first time.

The nervousness that your name won’t be called, that somehow you

really didn’t pass that last class in biology or English. Followed by the

fear that they will so mangle the pronunciation of your name -- mine is

pronounced like the Taj Mahal -- that you won’t recognize it.

Compounded by the absolute terror that on your way up to the podium,

you will trip and land either face-first in front of the teacher you

liked the least or flat on your bottom, and the class will point and

laugh.

On that last part, I did manage to fall at my high school scholarship

assembly. Twice (I won two awards). And I can tell you from personal

experience, it is possible to blush and then turn a deeper red. I skinned

my knee. Stop snickering.

This was the third time I graduated from something. No, I don’t count

elementary school. In August, I will attend my 10-year high school

reunion. Go Chula Vista High! Six years ago, I received my bachelor’s

from Loyola Marymount University. And Tuesday, I received a very nice

certificate from UCLA’s Professional Program in Screenwriting.

Those last two are the ones that mattered the most. Don’t get me

wrong, graduating from high school -- as many of our local youth did

Thursday -- is an amazing achievement. And I salute each and every one of

the graduates, whether you got a 2.9 or a 4.5.

But it’s different when school is not a place you have to be, but a

place that you choose to be. When you’re not doing homework just to get

it done, but actually doing it because you are learning something new,

and you like it. It’s different when you’re paying the bills for your

education. Somehow that makes it more personally valuable.

As it is the season for advice, I want to pass a little on to the

graduating classes of 2001. Forget about grades. If you’re going on to

college, concentrate on actually learning something in your classes. If

you know the material, the grades will come. Learning by rote to get an A

will not serve you as well in life.

Shake up your life. There will never be a better time to try something

new or make different choices than right now. Don’t be afraid to talk to

that person you always wanted to get to know. The worst they can do is

say no. And it’s probably their loss if they do.

Explore who you are. Do you like sushi or not? Do you like rap music?

How do you know? Have you ever listened to it? See a play. Read a book

about astrophysics. Listen to an opera. Volunteer at the Red Cross. Find

out about yourself.

And last, but not least, there is this from Hal Ackerman, one of my

teachers at UCLA -- Don’t judge yourself or your successes in life by the

successes of others. You are not them, and we each have our own path.

Find what yours is and be true to yourself.

And the next time they call your name to go up to that podium, check

to see if your shoelaces are tied and make sure you hem that robe. That

way, if you “break a leg,” you’ll know it’s a sign of luck and not a

medical emergency.

* Jennifer K Mahal is the Pilot’s features editor.