UP CLOSE 06

JODIE SWEETIN'S A SENIOR!
COLLEGE BOUND!
Congratulations to our favorite almost-undergrad!

Although "Full House" fans might find this hard to believe, the lovely Jodie Sweetin recently graduated from high school! The now seventeen-year-old star had an incredibly busy senior year, filled with SAT's, college applications, and major decisions. If you could talk to Jodie right this minute, she would gladly tell you (with a huge smile) that the stress of senior year is totally behind her. The college decision has been made, and the future is bright! Below, read all about Jodie's graduation and her plans for the semesters ahead.

FRESHMAN YEAR 101

Jodie announced her final college decision in a spring '99 Celebrity Sightings chat, but for those of you who missed it, here's the big news in her own words. "I'm going to Chapman University. I'm very excited! I have a lot of friends who are going there too, and some that go there right now. One friend of mine is in the film school, and I worked on a movie he's doing, so I also know some people from that. I think it's going to work out really well. I've been there a lot and visited several times, so I feel good about it. It's a great school. I actually received an academic scholarship to go there, so that helped too!" [Editor's note: special props to Jodie for that honor!]

Jodie told CS she plans to have a very traditional college experience, which is in keeping with her refreshingly normal high school life. "I'm going to live in the dorm, have a roommate, and do that whole thing, maybe in a suite-style room. I don't know how it will all work out yet. The good thing is, I can go home if I want to on the weekends, and a lot of my friends are going to other schools [nearby]. I have a feeling we'll all be visiting each other a lot!"

If you've already experienced high school graduation, you know it can be kind of a surreal time, especially since it's such a whirlwind of celebration and excitement. As Jodie put it, "Prom was at the end of May, and I graduated June 17th. It's so weird! Things happened really fast. I haven't gotten used to all of it yet!" Nonetheless, Jodie is ready and willing to move into the next phase of her life now that her college plans are solid. "It's definitely a huge relief. I was SO stressed about it and so worried. I'm really glad it's taken care of."

Jodie was asked recently to relay the biggest misconception people have about her. She replied without hesitation, "That I'm really stuck up and think I'm better than everyone because I was on TV. I'm not like that at all. I feel I'm a really down to earth person and give everyone a fair chance. It's been hard to overcome that jealousy and misconception, but I've just moved on and realized that it's not my business what other people think of me. That's good advice to get any of us through life."

CHEERS TO THE CLASS OF '99!!

As for the actual graduation day, it was a virtual whirlwind of celebration and ceremony for Jodie and her family. In addition to the many parties, presents, and good wishes, there was of course the all-important cap and gown event. As "Pomp & Circumstances" played, Jodie and her classmates strolled across the stage to receive their diplomas. (Moms & dads, meanwhile, stood by with cameras to capture the moment. Tears are optional.) Jodie was especially lucky in that her school planned a blow-out bash to follow the main event.

"After the ceremony, we had Grad Night, which went on all night long, from 8 PM until 6 in the morning. They spent an incredible amount of money transforming the gym and lining up entertainment. They had DJ's, karaoke, and all kinds of shows. It was really cool. That went until Friday morning. Then, on Saturday night, I'm had a party for family and family friends. That went on from 4 PM until about 7, then we got a DJ and had my friends come over that night for a little party in the back yard."

Now, such a momentous occasion would not have been complete without the attendance of assorted "Full House" co-stars. Although the Olsen twins were unfortunately working out of the country, the cast was extremely well-represented. Celeb party guests included Bob Saget, Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, John Stamos, Rebecca Romijan-Stamos, and Joel Zwick (a former Full House director).

THESE ARE THE DAYS: FRIENDS & MEMORIES
Of course, one of the most important elements of senior year is spending as much time as humanly possible with your friends. Everyone's on the same kind of emotional roller coaster, and it's a time when lifelong friendships are solidified. When asked what she'll remember most about being a senior, Jodie replied, "I think I'll remember things like our little spring break trip - I had SO much fun. All the memories that I've made with my friends, and the fun things we've done over the years."

Senior spring break is a total rite of passage in America, but Jodie explained that hers was a little more mellow than your typical "MTV Party To Go" perception. "For spring break, I went to Palm Springs with a bunch of friends. It was a total blast! First of all, my girlfriends and I went shopping at this great outlet mall, then we headed to Palm Springs. One of our friends has a condo there. The guys came up and joined us later that night - there were maybe nine or ten of us staying there. We just relaxed and enjoyed it. We went out to dinner for my friend's 18th birthday. There was also this casino. Everyone went, but I had to stay home! I was the only one who wasn't 18 yet! [LAUGHS] That was okay though - it was just a nice, relaxing couple of days."

You might be wondering why this edition of "Up Close" hasn't mentioned Jodie's usual parade of suitors. As she put it, "All through high school I've had serious boyfriends. Now it's cool that I can just date around and have fun." Sounds good to us!

Congratulations to Jodie and her friends from everyone at Celebrity Sightings! We wish her the best of luck in her freshman year, and we know she'll continue to enjoy tremendous academic and social success! =) Peace out, everyone, and have a wonderful summer!