Member-only story
You Don’t Belong Here
Reprint of a Medium story in response to a non-fiction writing prompt.
This story was originally written in December 2021 and is being republished in response to The Storyteller’s Vault Non-Fiction Writing Challenge.
It’s Sunday, June 20, 1993. The date of my undergraduate graduation from Drexel University.
I’m attending the ceremony along with the rest of the student body at the Philadelphia Civic Center’s Convention Hall. My family is seated somewhere in the huge audience along with my classmates’ relatives. It’s a hot day outside but it’s cool inside the building thanks to the air conditioning. In a few moments, they’ll be announcing for the students graduating from the College of Business Administration to line-up in alphabetical order to receive their bachelor’s degrees. This is a moment I’ve been waiting for since I received my acceptance letter from Drexel and now, I’m about to graduate as an accounting major.
As I’m making my way to the stage, waiting for my name to be called, I’m starting to sweat. My heart palpitates and my anxiety increases as I await my turn. Suddenly, the ceremony stops right before the Dean calls my name. A professor approaches me. He stands approximately 6’5”, about four inches taller than me, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, appearing in his mid…