June 4: So I guess dreams do, in fact, come true. I am living proof of that. I am finally a college graduate. The week went by so quick and when it was all done I had been to five different graduations. Two of those graduations were mine. On May 31st at 8 a.m. I lined up with the rest of the journalism graduates. Wow! I couldn't believe I was there. There I saw a few of my classmates. Veronica and Sam were there. My photo partner Francisca was there, too. And so was Rick and Irantzu and Adriana and Connie. Everywhere I looked there was someone who I either worked with on the school's newspaper or magazine. Also some former classmates that I happened to share classroom experiences with. The photo of my cap and gown is not exactly what everyone is expecting to see during a graduation. I had to stand out. I had to go out with a bang. Since there has been all kinds of talks about immigration and since I am a proud immigrant, I figured it would be a good time to show a statement. So, with the help of Israel "Issy" Meza, I was able to come up with a sign to put on top of my cap which would draw a lot of attention. The idea proved to be a cool one as I kept on getting all kinds of positive remarks during the graduation ceremony. Those who knew me weren't exactly surprised since I am the type to draw as much attention as possible to myself. For strangers, it was cool to see someone be proud of what they are. Yes, I am a proud immigrant. And now, I am a proud college educated immigrant. How about that.

The second pic of the week goes out to my Aztlan Graduation suit. Aztlan Graduation gives a chance for anyone who has graduated to have a more intimate graduation with friends and family. As opposed to the typical graduations, Aztlan Grad gives everyone a chance to shine. No one graduate is better than the other. Everyone gets a chance to get their due congratulations. This year, we decided to have a minute-long video to show our guests what it has taken us to get to the graduation stage. My video, of course, featured some photography and some poetry. But most importantly, it gave me a chance to thank my family. They have been there for me, one way or another, during this long journey. I chose to go with the Pachuco suit (aka Zoot Suit) because I had to show respect to my background. I loved the idea because I am from Mexico City, the birth of the Pachuco. Also because when my grandfather was a young man, he used to be a Pachuco, himself. As a matter of fact, he was born in the city of Pachuca, Hidalgo. So, the Pachuco suit worked best. Lastly, It gave me a chance to show respect for those young people living in Los Angeles during the 1940s when the Zoot Suit craze was full blown. I could have gone with any outfit for this graduation ceremony, but not going as a Pachuco would have been a waste.

Cortez Pic of the Week -- This section will feature a photo that will highlight what the previous week was like for me. The idea is to show what my lens saw and how my applied techniques made it work. Some photos, if not most, will have some sort of technical flaw, which I will observe for the following week in hopes of improving. Sometimes the photography will feature what I thought about before, during and/or after the image was made. If you have any thoughts, concerns, tips or just want to laugh at me; please let me know by e-mailing me your thoughts at JulyThePhotoGuy@aol.com