I can’t believe I’m writing this, but we officially have a high schooler! This fall, Nia will begin 9th grade at Berlin Brandenburg International School. Once again, I don’t feel nearly old enough for this to be happening, but that seems to be a recurring theme these days. 😊
What’s most remarkable is how much she has blossomed over the last two years. Nia has always handled transitions well, but this one was especially smooth. Within six weeks of landing in Bend, she had found a friend group and was thriving academically. She makes it look so effortless that I sometimes forget how difficult it is to change schools every one to two years.
When we repatriated in summer of 2024, we had a choice between two schools. After much deliberation, we chose Seven Peaks, an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, largely because of a meet-up we had with a Seven Peaks family the admissions team connected us with. This Korean-American former military family immediately understood the complexities of our lifestyle and left us feeling confident that we could find our place in Bend, just as they had.
We’re accustomed to having a built-in community through the Embassy, but in Bend we had to build our community organically. Looking back, it’s no surprise that two years later that mother and daughter have become some of our dearest friends. Their generosity—along with that of so many other Bendites—helped create what has been our richest community experience yet, which, of course, made saying goodbye all the harder.
As we moved through the end-of-year celebrations and rituals, the tears seemed to come at the most unexpected of times. Oddly enough, the moment that brought the most tears came during the final school assembly which began with an adorable skit where the Kindergarteners stepped into a “time machine” and emerged as 8th graders. It was such a sweet reminder of how quickly the grade school years pass.
Next came the IB Learner Profile Awards. In the IB Middle Years Program, there are ten key learner traits educators seek to develop in students. At the conclusion of 8th grade, the teachers unanimously decide on the student they feel best portrays that trait and present them with a special award. We were so honored that Nia was chosen to receive the “Knowledge” Award, recognizing her ability to “develop and use conceptual understanding, explore knowledge across a wide range of disciplines, and engage with ideas that have local and global significance.”
Nia’s innate curiosity and global upbringing have fostered a true love of knowledge-seeking as she seeks to make meaning out of what she learns. How special it was to have her love of knowledge celebrated in such a public way! I’m deeply grateful for the remarkable teachers who guided her over these last two years—teachers who nurtured her curiosity and challenged her to think in new ways. It makes me wonder what new possibilities await as she begins her next chapter at another IB school.
The tears really started flowing, however, when the school recognized the teachers who were leaving this year, including one who had been especially encouraging to Nia. As a send-off, they called up all those leaving Seven Peaks–including Nia and her 8th grade classmates–and sang a farewell song to them. It was all very moving and I was crying and hugging the mamas around me. Ugh, goodbyes never get easier, do they?
Nick wasn’t able to attend graduation, but my wonderful in-laws joined us for both the reception and ceremony. The reception was filled with hugs, photos, and lots of celebrating. Apparently, wearing leis is a big tradition in Bend. Rather than jumping on the lei trend, I opted to pull Nia out of school early so she could have her hair professionally styled for the first time. She chose to have her curls straightened and styled into loose romantic waves, and it looked absolutely beautiful.
The graduation ceremony itself was very well done. It featured one adult speaker and three student speakers, with diplomas presented throughout. Before the ceremony, each graduate had recorded a short video sharing a lesson or mindset they would carry with them from Seven Peaks. As each student’s video played, they stood on stage while the audience watched. When the video ended, they crossed the stage, received their diploma, and made their way through a receiving line of teachers for hugs and congratulations. It was thoughtful, personal, and beautifully executed.
But the celebrations weren’t over yet! That same mom who first convinced us to choose Seven Peaks happened to have a special connection with one of the restaurant owners in town. After the ceremony, our group of twenty headed to Dear Mom Cafe to continue the festivities with some delicious Thai food.
JJ, the owner, made the evening absolutely unforgettable. She had decorated our seating area with balloons and surprised the graduates with specialty drinks and boxes of donuts to take home. It was completely unexpected and so generous. Most importantly, it made our girls feel celebrated and cherished.
Check back in a few days when I’ll share the story of the big goodbye bash I threw for us! As always, thank you for reading and for following along on our journey.
