Saturday, June 6, 2009

Bitter Sweet Graduation

Eight years ago (June 2001) I moved to Molokai to take my first "real" teaching job. My first year teaching, as with most, was filled with lots of exciting times and tough lessons learned. The first class I taught at Molokai Christian Academy was a group of six fifth graders that were in transition. Throughout that year we all grew up and I look back with many happy memories of my "first class"!



Today I got to witness two of those six graduate from Molokai High School, one of which was valedictorian. I was blown away by how much they had grow up over the years- both intellectually and physically (as both are much taller than I)!






As for the other four students from my first class... one graduated the middle of May from a school on Big Island, one is on the mainland, and I have lost track of the other two.








Over the years, I have taught kids from preschool through 12th grade. Many have come and gone, many are in college, a couple have passed away, some I will have their children in preschool in the next couple of years. One thing has remained the same... the same God that called me out here 8 years ago is still calling me to stay and continue to do His work.





We just finished up our school year yesterday and had an outstanding preschool graduation Wednesday night with 200+ people in attendance. These little ones are truly a blessing to my heart and I am thrilled that I have had the opportunity to see them grow! So as this week of graduations comes to a close and another year is pau, I can truly say with mixed emotions that I am blessed.