A Bush-Style Graduation

Just when I’m starting to think that I’ve seen it all, I quickly get proven wrong and experience something that just blows me away. The event that got me this time was graduation night in Nondalton. Last Friday was a big day for the village, and the students were all very excited about the celebration. During and after school, students were helping transform the gym into a festive setting for a graduation to take place. I was proud of how hard the students were working to prepare for the special night and I know it meant a lot to the graduate to have their help. 

Oh did I forget to mention the fact that there was only one student graduating? Keep in mind that our school has 24 students (double what I worked with in Pilot Point) so it’s not unusual for one student to be graduating nor is it uncommon for students graduate mid-year. The unique thing about the standards based system is that students can complete their classwork at any time, whether it be a Tuesday in October or a Thursday in April. The system that we work with is catered to helping students complete work at a pace that meets their needs. I believe this senior had finished up all of her work before Christmas break, but the ceremony was planned for the beginning of this semester.

Much to my enjoyment, I got the privilege to be a witness to this graduation ceremony. As strange as it might seem, I think it’s great that this was made into such a special night. Some might think it’s silly to put all the work into a graduation for one student, but I completely disagree. Graduating high school, especially for some students out in the bush, is a big deal and should be treated accordingly. This young woman worked hard to finish up her school work to be able to graduate and I think she deserved the decorations, senior slideshow, and to walk down the aisle in a cap and gown. 

The start of the ceremony itself was in true village fashion which did not surprise me in the least. Time in the village usually tends to run about 15 minutes early or late, you never know what you’ll get. For the night of graduation however, the seats were full of students, staff, and relatives before the 6 o’clock start. The only snag in this though was that one important person was running behind; our graduate was about 15 minutes late to the event. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself at this little detail. The student came rushing in all dressed up (most likely the cause of her tardiness) and ready to go, and before I knew it the ceremony was on it’s way. A short 15 minutes later and Nondalton officially had one more alum. Again, I smiled as I looked down at my phone to see the length of the ceremony. It was short and sweet and I could tell how proud the staff and community were to see this student give her speech and accept her diploma. Special occasions like this bring the village members closer together and I feel thankful anytime that I get to be apart of such events.

After taking a ton of pictures, enjoying some yummy cake, and visiting with the attendees, the night was over. The celebration for family and friends continued elsewhere that night, but our part in the night was over before 6:45. By now I know that I shouldn’t be, but I am always finding myself surprised by the things that I witness. This was definitely one of those times, but in a good way. I am sure this is not the last time I’ll be surprised by occurrences out here in the bush!