Three Access teachers and 19 Access students from Kendari, Indonesia celebrated the culmination of two years of hard work and study at a recent graduation ceremony.
English Language Fellow Jeremy Beal, Access alumni, and a University of Indonesia representative attended the graduation. The graduating students organized the ceremony and ran the event, which included speeches, a traditional dance of the Tolaki people, and a song.
The electricity went out shortly before sunset, when they planned to begin the ceremony. The students and teachers improvised by ringing the room with candles, and the graduation proceeded by candlelight. “Several of the students performed a traditional dance. Their graceful movement and colorful costumes, combined with the candlelight were mesmerizing,” Beal said.
At the end of the graduation, the teachers and students received certificates signifying successful completion of the program.