Chapter 123 Two Queens, One Stage
Chapter 123: Two Queens, One Stage.
The ceremony continued and it was soon time for the students to start receiving their certificates.
Names were called and the students went up to receive their certificates.
Families of the graduates were heard screaming and whistling as the names of the graduating students were called.
It soon got to the turn to call students who had finished with distinction. Allan's name was called and not only did his family scream, even his classmates screamed.
He was the bad boy of the department, the president of their association and he looked like trouble. Despite all these, he still graduated with distinction to the amazement of everyone.
He stood up and with a smile marched to the front to receive his certificate. He gave a dramatic bow and a peace sign when he collected the certificate and caused everyone to laugh.
After the distinction students, those on the Dean's list were called upon to receive their certificates and there was another round of screams, whistles, and cheers going round.
When everyone had calmed down, the dean of the faculty was called to the podium to introduce the next students and awards.
“Distinguished Faculty Members, our delectable graduates, friends and families, ladies and gentlemen, a warm afternoon to you all.
It is with great pleasure I stand before you this afternoon to introduce two very exceptional students.
They have distinguished themselves and have broken academic records. This year we almost had a tie and the difference in their grades is merely 0.2.
These students have proven that hard work and determination pays. Not surprising is the fact that they are both ladies.
They beat out all the men in their class and faculty to emerge as the best. So this year, we have an Academic Valedictorian with the highest GPA. She is also the academic powerhouse of the faculty.
And then we have our second awardee. The Faculty Distinguished Scholar with the second highest GPA in the faculty.
Ladies and Gentlemen with a standing ovation, please welcome Golden Nixon our Valedictorian and Linda Miller, our Faculty Distinguished Scholar.”
There was a brief silence when the Dean finished speaking at first, and then there was thunderous applause as Golden and Linda walked to the front to receive their awards from the Dean.
It was a sight to behold. To see two ladies who had never gotten along share a stage together.
And as if they were in sync, they were both wearing pant suits, one in Royal Blue, and the other in Deep Green.
Standing side by side, they did look like a powerhouse. They reflected dominance and the fact that you can be beautiful and still crush it.
They looked at each other and held their gazes for a second. In that moment they acknowledged each other, not as rivals but as achievers.
Golden took a step back and let Linda give her speech.
“Distinguished faculty, families, and fellow graduates, excellence is not accidental.
It is built one disciplined morning at a time.
Pre-med demands more than intelligence. It demands sacrifice. It demands precision. It demands the refusal to settle for average when excellence is possible.
We did not arrive here by chance.
We competed. We studied. We pushed ourselves beyond comfort.
And yes, sometimes we were pushed by one another.” She paused and looked looked at Golden.
“Competition is not cruelty. It is a catalyst. When surrounded by brilliant minds, you either shrink, or you sharpen.
This class sharpened me. Medicine is not a field for hesitation. It is a field for decisiveness. For leadership. For those willing to stand firm under pressure.
As we move forward into medical school, research, and the next phase of our careers, I challenge us to remain relentless.
Do not apologize for ambition. Do not dim your light to make others comfortable. Do not fear standing at the top.
Because the patients we will one day serve deserve doctors who pursued mastery, not mediocrity.
Today we celebrate achievement.
Tomorrow we return to the pursuit of greatness.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025.
Let’s continue to lead.
Thank you.”
“Wow! I must say, that was beautiful.” Alex said to Fab as she joined everyone else in clapping.
Everyone settled back in their seats and Golden took the podium to give her speech.
“Good afternoon distinguished faculty, proud families, friends, and my fellow graduants.
Four years ago, many of us walked into Ocean City University carrying more than backpacks. We carried expectations, dreams, fears. Some of us carried quiet insecurities that no one else could see.
Pre-med is not for the faint-hearted. We survived 8 a.m. organic chemistry lectures, sleepless nights memorizing pathways that somehow still disappeared during exams, and labs that tested both our knowledge and our patience.
But beyond the exams and the grades, what truly shaped us were the invisible battles.
Some of us fought doubt. Some fought comparison. Some fought to be taken seriously.
And some of us simply fought to believe that we belonged here.
Today proves that we did. Excellence is not just about intelligence. It is about endurance. It is about choosing to rise again and again, even when the pressure feels unbearable.
We have learned that medicine is not only about curing diseases. It is about seeing people. Listening. Holding space for pain that cannot be measured in lab values.
As we step into the next chapter, wherever that may be, I hope we remember that our worth was never defined by ranking, rivalry, or reputation.” She paused and smiled reminiscing about her four years.
“It was defined by resilience. The world is bigger than this campus. Bigger than this city. Bigger than the versions of ourselves we once were.
And sometimes growth requires courage, the courage to step into unfamiliar spaces, to choose new beginnings, to rewrite our own narratives.
Wherever life takes us next, may we carry not only knowledge, but compassion. Not only ambition, but humility.
Congratulations, Class of 2025.
We did not just pass exams.
We evolved.
Thank you.”