Last week, Heilicher 8th graders walked across the stage to receive their diplomas as a certificate of graduation from the Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School. While staff and faculty are sad to see these intellectual and young leaders leave, they are very much excited for the impact they will have on the future. We wish them the best of luck and would like to share a letter from one of the Graduates. We could not have said it better, thank you Nina for your kind and empowering words.
Dear HMJDS,
The lights were so blinding we couldn't even see the audience, obstructing all that was in front of us with a single object. Suddenly, after the ceremony was over, the lights turned off, and we could see ahead of us again, ready for whatever was going to be thrown in our path. Did we know what the food was going to be? No. Did we know how our sweatshirts were going to look? No. Did we know how much fun Airmax was going to be? No, no, no. All we knew was, whatever we did, there was no going back - no rewind button.
I take the entire evening as a metaphor. We have no idea what's ahead of us, in terms of high school, college, and even just life. But suddenly, the fog that had been blocking us from seeing the future has been lifted, and now, though we still don't know what to expect, we are ready to plunge in. For two amazing hours I sat there on the theater stage, listening to my grade-mates talk about their memories from here and my teachers speak about all of us so fondly, and as the video was shown, let's just say a few tears were shed. I remember thinking, as each of my peers read their graduation essays they worked so hard on, how much we've changed since Children Around the World in Kindergarten.
By change, I mean not simply our appearances, from our adorable faces to... this, but our growth in terms of maturity, knowledge, skill, and readiness for what's to come. And listening to the teachers pinpoint exactly who we are showed me that this is always going to be my home outside of home, with people who know me as if we were kin.
HMJDS is a filled with all different types of people, going to all different types of places. But we are one giant community, family, that will always stick together and have each-other's backs no matter where we go. Thank you HMJDS for always being there for me, and I will miss you more than you know.
Love,
Nina S., 2016 Heilicher Graduate
- Alumni
