I did it for my mom. It was really important to her, but I actually objected to the event in every way. If it wasn't for her, I and others we knew would make it a point to not walk. We felt, and still feel, that the sense of accomplishment that comes from graduating high school and getting your diploma is gone, and the event of graduation was almost a mockery of us since our entire generation got the shaft for the future. Generations past could genuinely do something with a high school diploma, now an undergrad degree is required for most anything, with a master's feeling even more vital, while the cost of education went through the roof and the assistance fell flat in keeping up. So there we sat, for four hours, in 100 degree weather, being told how much we achieved and our bright future felt saccharine. It felt like a lie.