Celebrating the Class of 2023

This week the International School of Qingdao celebrated our eight amazing seniors as they crossed the stage to receive their high school diplomas, moving from one chapter of life and into the next. As commencement speaker Mr. Way so aptly said, this group of graduates has experienced unprecedented "hardship, setbacks and difficulties," over the last four years, building resiliency and flexibility in ways that no one could have expected before the Covid pandemic began.  He said to them "Now, on the other side of it, you are more resilient than the generation before you. You’ve learned the value of connection better than many will know, and you are adaptable to any circumstance."  

Valedictorian Susie P. and Salutatorian Joseph Z. also reflected back on their high school experiences, pointing to relationships—between peers and teachers—as their key touchstones during the last few years. While they have each achieved academic success and earned the right to walk the stage, these seniors have also grown closer to one another and developed a sense of community in deep and meaningful ways.  

As each of these graduates moves on to their next season, pursuing studies in business, graphic design, engineering and more, we wish them great success both in and out of the classroom. Congratulations Class of 2023!