The defense was set for 2 pm on a Tuesday in November. I had mentally run through the presentation three times before that day - once while falling asleep the night before, once in the shower while trying to rinse off the morning stress, and once while running at dawn and nearly getting hit by a car. By the time I had to do it for real, I knew every word, every slide, every possible question and answer.
I walked into the defense room at 1:45, fifteen minutes early, to get a feel for the place where I would soon be presenting my work. The long table in the center was set with five chairs - one for me, and four for the committee. The projector was ready. My laptop was open on the table, with my presentation loaded and ready to go.
I took a steadying breath, thinking about everything that had led to this moment.
