With the wonderful fullness of hosting friends and then catching up after they departed, I’m now getting around to posting about Anya’s graduation, called a “studenten.” (I also had a seminar in Norway to prepare for and travel to, so things were a bit busy.)
We were so glad to have dear friends, Jean and Marvin, and my former housemate, Janet, come to make the celebration special for Anya.
There is no formal graduation ceremony for family and friends in Sweden. The students have a gathering with speeches and some end-of-the-year traditions. Each one was given an “award.” Some were not really positive, so Anya felt that being awarded class perfectionist was actually one of the better ones! She was one of the ones who actually read all the instructions and guidelines for the International Baccalaureate assessments!
At 1:00, the family and friends gathered outside the front doorway of the school. (The Kathedral School was founded in 1246!) There is typically a sea of people, so parents make signs so that their son or daughter can find them. The tradition is that the sign is a baby picture!
The baby picture tradition seems a bit weird to me, when this is a rite of passage into adulthood. I followed suit, but then, I put my American spin on it.
In addition to the flags, there were battery-powered lights! The back side of the poster was the collection of all her school photos to show that she’s come a long way!
Our friends, Donna and Lennart, joined us for fika to watch some of the excitement in the city center.
One tradition–that Anya did not choose to do–is for students to ride around the town in the back of a hastily-decorated truck with music blaring.
We went on to a nice celebration hosted by Donna and Lennart. Other friends joined us for real Mexican food that we had catered. We were so blessed by Donna and Lennart. They really rallied around us to make it a wonderful celebration.
Now, we wait for Anya’s final exam scores, which are posted on the Internet on 6 July. She will be traveling (Eurailing) in Europe then. Her dear friend, Annaliese, who comes on Sunday from the USA, also just graduated. They will be staying with some extended family and family friends in addition to a couple hostels and one Air BnB as they travel south from Sweden to Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Then, they fly back to Sweden. They have been planning for months, and the class perfectionist has carefully prepared spreadsheets and double checked all tickets and reservations. After seeing her navigate in London, figuring out public transportation in Norway, and thriving in Stockholm, I know they can make it work. Of course I’m consoled that she’s got a reasonable amount of wisdom and city smarts, but I eagerly welcome your prayers that everything goes smoothly and they stay healthy throughout their travels.
On 6 July, we’ll know where Anya will be headed to university in the fall. Her first choice is studying math with economics at the London School of Economics (LSE). Her acceptance is conditional upon earning the highest score, 7 out of 7, in math. While this is feasible, because several of the old exams she did scored sevens, however, it is not a guarantee. If she earned a 6 out of 7, then she will go to Kings College London. Both are great programs, so King’s isn’t a disappointment. The only glitch with Kings is that an applicant is only allowed to reserve student housing at their first choice. So, there is housing for her at LSE, but nothing reserved at Kings. This means if she is going to Kings, we have to scramble for housing in London in mid-July for a mid-September start. And Anya will have to lead this effort from some guest room in the Paris area. Yes, again prayers are welcomed.
Thanks for sharing in a bit of my joy of Anya’s wonderful achievement after these especially challenging two years of diligent study.
With blessings,
Beth
Dr. Mark & I are soooo proud of Anya and her achievements! She’s come a long way from the little girl we met years ago who struggled with shyness and uncertainty. She will make a formidable student no matter where she goes. Watch out world! Here comes Anya!! Congratulations, Beth, for nurturing her into adulthood well. You have equipped her with the right amount of freedom and independence that has given her this confidence to address her world. Well done!