On May 25th, 2018, the event that any student anticipates for their entire school career occurred for the seniors of Korea International School (KIS). On a breezy Friday afternoon, the graduating class of 2018 was prepared to walk across the white carpet to receive his or her diploma. Each and every senior wore the royal blue robes, representing the school’s colors, and had proudly decorated their square cap with the pride of the college or university they will be attending in fall. The event was held at the school soccer field which was filled with chairs for families, relatives, friends, and other guests to be part of the celebration. As of those hundreds of of chairs weren’t enough, many of the younger students sat on the turquoise bleachers rooting for seniors as they walked on the stage.  

The official ceremony had many speeches and performances to congratulate the class of 2018. It started at 5:30 PM with an opening speech from the school director, Michelle Quirin. She explained how she prized each and every senior who is moving on from Korea International school. The second speech was made by the high school Student Council President, J.D. Choi. He stated that he did not want to make his speech cliché by encouraging his class for their bright future, but wanted to explain why the class of 2018 is special. He explained that everyone in his class is extremely diverse, but somehow, they all come together as a family. Afterward, there were multiple songs performed by the Phoenix Orchestra and the Phoenix Chamber Singers. All of the seniors officially graduated from KIS after receiving their diplomas. It was interesting to note that KIS’ 1,000th graduating senior was in the class of 2018.

The graduation ceremony felt like a festival where the seniors were congratulated and being given off to start a new chapter in their life with flowers and gifts. The hard-working seniors certainly deserved the celebration and I wish them the best of luck in their new endeavor in college or wherever they may decide to go! 

Claire Min
Freshman
Korea International School