Graduation Ceremony

So this might sound like an bad idea, but I was wondering if you can skip going to the graduation ceremony to get your diploma. Even though I want to go, I’m going to be joining the Marine Corps reserve. I’ll be simultaneously doing that and going to college, but I have to go to boot camp over the summer and I’d rather not miss my first day of college being that Marine boot camp is 12 weeks long I would ship out to boot camp like the May 18 date and return August 11 a week before college starts. Senior send off is May 11 and graduation is May 28. If I went to boot camp after graduation I’d be missing my first week of college which doesn’t sound like an good idea… just want someone else’s opinion on this.
Thanks

Sounds like you have plans! Congrats! and Good luck to you!!!
Of course you can miss HS graduation. They’ll just mail you your diploma. Happens all the time for lots less good reasons than yours.

The only thing I would do is talk to your parents about it…but I am sure that they will be proud that you are joining marine reserves and going to college.

My older brother and I both didn’t attend our high school graduations. As long as your parents are ok with it, there’s no issue usually. At both my brother’s and my schools (we went to different high schools), my parents just went in the week after graduation and picked up our diplomas from the office.

Great plan! Finishing your boot camp and getting settled in to college are most important at this point. Make some time to visit with friends before you leave and take lots of pictures.

Attendance at the graduation ceremony is not a requirement for a diploma at any school I’ve ever heard of. Check with your guidance counselor (AFTER you clear the idea with your parents) to be sure.

Normally I tell students that, contrary to popular belief, graduation is not about them, it’s about their parents. All the other activities at the end of senior year are about you, but graduation is your parents’ chance to sit back and see their baby as an adult. Normally I pretty much tell them that they owe it to their parents to attend.

But your situation isn’t “normal.” You’re not choosing to go because you’re afraid of being bored for 2 hours; Boot camp isn’t something you can-- or should-- work around.

Kudos to you for your decision, and the best of luck to you in the future.