The Journey is Finished

Part of the journey is the end. Knowing that something will finish may evoke different feelings. Some may feel relieved because an important milestone has been achieved. Others wept unstoppably before, during, and after the ceremony. Although the reactions were diverse, one thing is for sure: a new cycle has come to an end.

On January 19th, we welcomed the Winter Semester with a blog post highlighting the main events of the first week. We compared the students to the character Alice in the classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She faced a crossroads where she had to make a decision that would impact her life forever.

Like Alice, our students had to make many decisions on campus that would change their beliefs. They learned the benefits of service, altruism, and kindness to others. Although the cycle has ended, they are well-equipped for the challenges ahead.

The Ceremony – The End and Beginning of a Journey

Our students gathered for the ceremony at 11 am and it lasted for one hour. Within that hour, they felt and reflected on all they had learned in three months. They celebrated their achievements, took thousands of pictures, and even set a time to see each other in the future.

Our Academic Director, Iaian Saunders (above), conducted the ceremony. Two students of the semester were invited to deliver speeches. One was Cristina from Spain (first picture below) and Marcos Junior from Brazil. Due to their high performance on campus, these students gave emotional speeches reflecting on all the lessons learned during these three months.

Then, Kelly Shepherd, Cumorah Academy’s CLO (Chief Learning Officer), spoke briefly to the students, encouraging them to live everything they had learned so far and never forget what they felt during the semester. After the speeches, it was time to award the students. Many attained high scores in Public Speaking classes and were awarded with candies and other prizes.

Conclusion of the Ceremony

Finally, there was a musical presentation and the certificates were delivered to the students. Each student, along with their group, was asked to step in front of the stage and receive their certificates. Also, we shouldn’t forget the winner of the House Cup. For those who don’t know, the House Cup is a competition between the groups. Each group is to perform a series of tasks in order to receive points. At the end of the semester, those points would be measured, thus revealing the winner.

Iain, our Academic Director, concluded the ceremony with a speech recalling love – love from the mentors, love of each student to each other, and love to the Savior. Each heart at the ceremony has been touched by these words and they leave campus remembering what they felt.

The winner of this semester is the Esther group (their first victory since Cumorah Academy began). Esther’s group was full of joy raising the coveted cup. The ceremony was perfect so our students could reflect on their successes and future plans. Isadora Gomes, a student from Portugal, said: “At graduation, I felt like I had accomplished something big. Now, I feel confident I can do everything I set my mind to.”

What Comes Next?

This is the question our students are asking themselves now. What is the next step? What accomplishment do they want for themselves?

Finding a good is part of the journey of most students. In fact, this is the primary goal of many once they leave campus.

One of our staff members, Nina Scurtu from Moldava, is responsible for the Career Development Class. Her main objective is to ensure students get a job during or after their period on campus. Due to her efforts, 93.75% of the students found better jobs. Reflecting on these results, Nina says: 

“I can tell you for sure that nothing is more fulfilling than receiving messages from students on campus saying “Nina, I just got an offer”. These messages bring tears of joy every time someone sends them to me.”

Surely, they will ask these sorts of questions repeatedly along the way. Reflecting on what the next steps will be part of their growth and progress. However, everything they learned from mentors, teachers, service projects, and others will shape the way they approach success. 

The graduation at Cumorah Academy is different due to the fact that our students are learning in the light of the teachings of Jesus Christ. As they recall everything they learned and commit themselves to their success, they definitely will find purpose amidst the chaos out there.

Our students are the most precious thing on campus. There wouldn’t be Cumorah Academy without them, and their progress is our progress. They are forever part of our story.”

Written by Fernando L. Ferreira Junior

Supervision by Kamila Uberto Fullmer

For more stories about our life on campus, check our blog page.