The sky was a blissful blue, and Heidi Conrad sat breathless in a small group of similarly-robed students. Underneath her mortarboard, her red hair had been tamed from its usual curls into a tidy braid, but she still couldn't help but feel a bit like the wide-eyed freshman who had appeared on Columbia's campus six years ago. As the President of the Academic Board asked the distinguished academics to admit these new scholars into their ranks, she couldn't help a soft gasp of happiness. She really had done it. Against all the odds, the little orphan from Iowa had graduated top of her class with a doctorate in sustainability studies. Beside her, her classmates were grinning as well, each person seeking out the familiar faces in the crowd that had come to cheer them on. She didn't bother looking because there was no one there for her, but the familiar knowledge was now just a dull stab of pain rather than a sharp ache. The president began calling their names, and Heidi was almost shocked when she heard her own name called.
