Class of 21’s graduation ceremeony was held on June 29, 2021 on the Dave Phillips Field, with members of the class of 2021, as well as their loved ones.
Head of School Adam Oliver and Turkish Director Nihal Çetinyamaç opened the ceremony with welcoming and opening remarks. The spekaer was Arwa Damon RC 94, CNN International Senior Correspondent. In her speech, Ms Damon saluted the students: “Take that emotional rollercoaster that COVID threw you on and turn it into your power engine – take all that and own it, because at the end of the day YOU did it, YOU made it!” Providing examples from the many twists and turns that enabled Damon to become a war correspondent, she urged the students not to be afraid of making mistakes.
Faculty speaker was music teacher Koray Demirkapı, underlined how dynamic and special Class of 2021 was. He gave many examples of the moments he shared with class of 2021, most notably the many conversations he shared with the students who dropped by his office. He concluded his speech by the importance of voicing one’s opinion and standing tall for the values one cares about deeply: “Stand tall, so this country rises on your shoulders. Stand tall, just like Mustafa Kemal who built a nation.”
The ceremony ended with the handing of the diplomas and singing of the school song.
