five years quietly building.
My family nearly missed the announcement entirely.
Vanessa’s flight to Paris was delayed by a mechanical issue, leaving Mom, Dad, and Vanessa in the airport lounge when one of Vanessa’s friends texted her.
ISN’T THIS YOUR SISTER??? TURN ON WESTBRIDGE LIVESTREAM NOW.
Vanessa opened the stream mostly to laugh.
She later admitted she expected to watch me cross the stage alone.
Instead, the camera showed thousands of students beneath blue-and-gold banners as Dean Harrison approached the microphone.
I sat in the front row beside professors, trustees,
