The rigors of San José Fire Academy are over and the challenges of a year’s probation are about to begin. But for a brief moment in time, the focus is on celebration and ceremony, honoring the accomplishments of Mike and his fellow recruits. Out of a pool of over 5,000 applicants, 26 recruits were chosen via a multi-tiered process of interviews, physical and written exams and exhaustive background checks. Friday night 22 of them became bonafide San José Fire Fighters.

The graduation ceremony began with the haunting strains of bag pipes, played by — you guessed it — Michael. That set the tone for the pomp and ceremony of the rest of the occasion during which, over and over, it was impressed upon us how grueling life had been for the recruits (and their families) for the last 18 weeks, as well as how critical it was to thoroughly prepare them for the risky and at-times herculean services they will now provide to the citizens of San José.

Although Mike’s accomplishments have nothing to do with us, we were none-the-less extremely proud to attend the ceremony and to claim him as family. Congratulations Michael! We applaud your bravery, committment and dedication. We are so impressed.