Graduation 2017 - Mersades

This is the day Mersades has been working so hard and diligently for the last four years.  Graduation Day, June 2, 2017!  She had set a goal, in the 4th grade mind you,  to get accepted into her top college pick and she has not only met that goal, but has also exceeded it by getting a half ride scholarship to her top choice!

Marz, you have worked so hard and you definitely can be proud of the fact that you earned every bit of your 4.3 grade point average!  You really are "smart, for a white chick!".  But not only that Marz, you worked hard at people relationships.  Even though you may not see it or have felt it, you have touched so many lives with your kindness and generosity.  You have also walked away with the "most famous baker" award!!  Everyone loved your special treats and will definitely notice their absence next year when school resumes.  You truly have touched the lives of so many people, young and old, and that is greater than any grade point average you will ever receive.  Dad and I, along with so many other people, are so excited to see what you do with the numerous gifts God has given you!  The world is your oyster!

Here's one last picture of our beautiful girl as a Dalat International School student.


She's off... ready to get the show on the road and her future started!

Commencement, 2017

Notice the guy on the stage???  Yup, that's her daddy!  It's an interesting story of how he came to be on that stage.  A story for a totally separate blog... But in short, Chris was asked to give the prayer at commencement. :)


The final student walks in, of the Class of 2017.  Nothing like having a last name that starts with "Z"!

Only five more to go....


And finally, last but definitely not least... Mersades Rhian Zimmer!!


Now, you can't really see it all that well because of the video camera placement, but Daddy stands up to give Marz a hug as she crosses the stage.

Marz and the superintendent.

Here she is, a graduated senior and now alumni of Dalat!
  

Awe... that look...  If I had to guess, there probably was a gleam of a tear in her Daddy's eye.

A family picture...  Yup, "A", the only one... for the whole week...  sigh...


Proud parents!


Grandma Schlomer flew all the way from the US just to attend the graduation!!  Thank you grandma!


Grandma with her favorite grandchildren!! LOL!!! ;)


Now for the after party.  It's called the Wailing Wall.  It's known as this, because back in the "old" days, before the world became small and social media became big, the graduates, underclassmen, family members, and guests, would go down to the cafeteria to say their goodbyes.  It was very difficult them because those that were saying goodbye, knew it was a firm good bye.  The students would get on a plane the next day or so and fly to all corners of the earth.  The only communication was with either an expensive phone call or snail mail.  It was truly a good bye!  Hence the wailing...

Fast forward to today... it's still the same in the way that the graduating class scatters all over the world, but the world has become so much smaller with social media, Skype, FaceTime, you name it...  The wailing isn't quite what it used to be.  However, there are still those classmates that may never see each other, in person, again just because time and distance will separate them.

I thought about this yesterday, as I was waiting for Mersades to finish up.  The difference between her graduation and mine was that I knew the next day, and into the summer, I would still see my friends and hang out.  Marz and the other students, for the most part, don't get that.  Many of them, like we did this morning, will get on a jet plane, the very next day, and fly away.  Their time at Dalat is cut off.  Done.  Finished.  These are some mentally strong kids!

Here is Ted and Gavin with their roommate Joe.  Ted and Joe have been roommates since Ted started at Dalat.  Joe has been in the same dorm as Marz since she started... well, minus her first semester, but close enough. ;)

Sarah, Mersades' first roommate at Dalat, who graduated last year, came back for a quick visit.  That was special for them both.

Dorm parents Uncle Craig and Aunt Betsy.   
Kids also go to the Wailing Wall to sign yearbooks for memories.

Marz and a special teacher, Ms. Grad.  One day, Ms. Grad may just ready a novel by Marz... maybe Ms. Grad will write the introduction... ;)

Mom and dad taking a breather and enjoying the sound of the ocean waves. 
Midnight has come and time for the kids to go their separate ways.  The last four years have been a mixture of emotions, good and bad, but as we always tell the kids, God has a plan.  It's better to go with it than to fight it.  Dalat was God's plan for Mersades.  And what a great plan it was!!

Congratulations Marz!!  Your future is so bright!!  Go out and do God's will! xoxo