Spring is an exciting time for any school. Spring means warmer weather, completion of courses, possibly some field trips, and the promise of summer. Spring also means graduation for seniors, and 2011 was no exception.
This year seniors met in three different cities to celebrate their accomplishments at ICA. The last issue of the ICA Today outlined the highlights of the Dallas graduation; since then, students and their families also gathered in Orlando, FL and Washington, D.C.
Orlando marked the largest ICA graduation ceremony ever with 24 students. It started on May 26 with a trip to the Orlando Science Center. The celebration continued the next day with the cap and gown ceremony. During the ceremony two students shared poems that commemorated their ICA experience, and they also shared what they look forward to in the next chapter of life. The graduate address was delivered by Rev. Roger Bouwman, who is a Bible teacher at ICA. It was an exciting ceremony as parents, families, and friends proudly watched each graduate celebrate the once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment of earning a high school diploma.
In the first week of June, graduates met for the third and final regional graduation ceremony. On June 1 students and their parents braved the Washington, D.C. traffic and Metro to meet at the National Aquarium. The aquarium showcased different aquatic species, from leopard sharks to garfish to sea turtles, from all different regions of the U.S. The following day on June 2 seven students met for the cap and gown ceremony. Again, two students took an opportunity to share their thoughts about their experiences at ICA. It was a great ceremony where graduates celebrated the moment with their peers and spent time afterward in discussion.
Spring is an exciting time at ICA. All three regional graduation ceremonies were filled with moments of celebrating past accomplishments and looking forward to the next step in each graduate's life. May God bless each graduate and guide them in their endeavors.