The World Changes Today at 4:00 PM PDT

For the four people you see above, the world changes today in a really significant way at 4:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time.  Lafawnda and one of her best friends, Megan, have been in school together since their freshman year getting Bachelor’s Degrees in Nutritional Science.  Each could go out at that point as a qualified Nutritionist.  The final step in their initial education, though, is a Dietetic Internship and each has applied to numerous programs, some run by schools, some not.  After successful completion of that and subsequent qualification exam – kind of like passing the Bar – they will become Registered Dieticians.

Lafawnda has applied at programs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Napa, Sacramento and Marin County.  All considered, it is nine separate applications to universities and medical facilities.  As the professors say each year, they are surprised at which graduates are accepted into which programs and which are not, so no guarantees here.  There are many applicants from across the country and only about ten or twelve are accepted into each program.  Each applicant ranks their choices and the top choice of the institutions accepting the person is the match they receive.  Or … they are not matched with any.

At 4:00 this afternoon, the matches will be announced.  Lafawnda and Megan are basket cases right now in anticipation.  They will text one another upon finding out their result so they can adjust their responses to each other accordingly.  The ultimate dream for both would be to find acceptance into the same program and we have already offered Megan that she can live here if both get into the program at San Francisco State.  Each possibility requires the appropriate reconfiguration of all lives involved and if Lafawnda is not matched with any program, then she and Flash have decided to move back here and stay with us as they determine what to do with their lives over the next year until Lafawnda would apply again.

This is a big deal for all of us and the Lady Fossil and I are also very excited.  In any case, no move will be made until this June after Lafawnda’s graduation in May.  We also don’t want to take away from the accomplishment of a stellar undergraduate performance by Lafawnda, graduating with honors and being one of only two students from her class to produce an undergraduate thesis based entirely upon her own research.

We are happy with our kids’ and their friends’ efforts and accomplishments and there is no outcome here that is bad.  Some are just delightful to contemplate, though!

We will keep you posted.

BREAKING NEWS!!: And the winner is …. FRESNO!!!  Woo Hoo!  The worst news is that Megan didn’t get a match this year and that is really difficult.  It makes this bittersweet.