Me, master of science & badass

Today I graduated for the second time. You can now call me Nicole Ingra, Master of Science and badass. I graduated with merit in one of the top ten universities in the world! Damn, can I even say so myself? We’re always supposed to be fake humble and never brag, but damn, I’m proud. I am really, really proud of myself.

And for that, I want to thank my friends and mentors.

Robin - thank you for making me feel like the wonder woman I am, even in my darkest hours. Your support and your endless belief in me are beyond this world. Thank you too for all the questions, articles, challenges and different points of view.

Robin B - that JavaScript coursework was a bitch, but your patience and guidance made it more bearable. Fuck me, thanks. If you didn’t know how important your help was, sorry. But now you know.

Rob C - thanks for letting me in the Guardian world; it was great to observe things from the inside, and see for myself the multitudes, intricacies and connections of data, journalism, technology, distribution and people. It was pretty awesome. Thanks for all the coffee and wine, too.

Alex - you are you, and you’re always there for me. You might not be the best at saying nice things, but thanks for all you mean, and all you’ve done, and the thorough spell checks. Really.

Whitney - I love your excitement over my accomplishments and the unexpected compliments you so effortlessly give. You are straightforward and gentle, and I love having you in my life.

Oli & Martin - You both made my life so much easier. You showed me the importance of choosing the right people to work with, as mentors. It was amazing to bounce off ideas with you, and find the perfect balance between dream and achievement. Thanks for making every goal one step closer.

DH Class - we were not all close, but your presence has influenced me. Thank you for all the unexpected kind words. Thanks for being inspiring, hard working and open. Thanks for showing me different cultures, and different ways of seeing the work. Thanks for changing my perspective.

And that’s it.

I worked really hard to get where I am, and that’s surrounded by people who push me farther than I would go by myself - and that’s not just the ones mentioned here with direct impact in my masters.

I could have done it alone, but all of you made the journey much better, and I thank you all for that. You are all badassess too.