ACS graduation: another great expat experience

I got a little teary-eyed tonight attending the American Community School of Abu Dhabi high school graduation.  Watching all these nearly grown up kids experiencing the culmination of their high school career.  And, yes, I knew all of ZERO of these kids and still got a little misty-eyed.  I went to support our school and am so glad I did.

I learned about impressive kids who won impressive awards - including the unique Ambassador's Award awarded by the American Embassy here in the UAE that recognizes global citizenship characteristics.  I heard the cheers of proud friends and family.  I felt a lot of empathy towards the teary-eyed moms who probably knew everyone of those kids on stage.  I saw the high school choir perform a song arranged and directed by a graduating senior.  I saw an incredibly diverse class from literally all over the world.  I realized that I could only easily pronounce about 20% of the kids' names - and loved that the names and the expectations of what you think a kid with that name would look like, don't necessarily match.  I loved how the ceremony opened with two boys starting the opening convocation in Arabic followed by another with an Arabic name saying a prayer in English.  I laughed and cried hearing two girls who started together at ACS in pre-kingergaten back when they were four years old - sharing all the memories they made together over the years and how they, too, had elementary experiences so very near to the ones I see our little ones having now.   And being reminded of the transitory nature of this city that less than 10% of the graduating kids actually started as kindergarteners here at ACS.  In my school, the "new kid" when we graduated was the guy who started in 7th grade.

It bewildered me to think about how in the weeks and months ahead, these kids will also scatter to the four corners of the world to start their college phase of their lives - well, maybe just three corners as Australia and Antarctica are the missing continents on the college list.  As someone who graduated from a school where very few people even left the state to go to college, the geographic range of these kids and their experiences is pretty astounding.  We don't plan to be in Abu Dhabi long-term but experiences like tonight definitely make me appreciate the opportunities we are all getting here and to enjoy it while we can.

The ACS Class of 2012 tossing their mortarboards in the air
after the inspiring ceremony at the Emirates Palace Hotel