Graduation

Just a college graduation and I felt myself with a few tears in my eyes. i guess that spoke a lot about how the CPU (Canadian pre-u) program is organized. The speeches from the college president and the description of teachers and what they stand for moved me. Naren has never been the conventional student who easily does well in the Malaysian education system. It was a real struggle the last two years of secondary school - to keep the focus enough on studies to get through "SPM" exams (the great landmark of Malaysian education, thought by many to determine one's future career)!

When I found out what the CPU tries to inculcate in students through the program, I was extremely grateful. From what my son has described over the months, I realized that the teachers treat the students as adults and encourage discussion in class. For once he is not labelled "talkative" but that he contributes positively to the liveliness of the lesson. These were tears of gratitude - that Naren found a place where each person's unique giftedness is appreciated and accepted.

There was a candle lighting ceremony at the end of the graduation. The light was to symbolize "knowledge', but for me, it meant much more - taking the Christian symbol of light, I was reminded again that we can choose to be 'lights' in a dark world, we can shine in each other's lives and impart lasting values, like the teaching staff have done. How appropriate in a season where we proclaim that the "Light" has come into the world (John 1).......