Transitioning to the Future

Rainbow Chan

On Thursday, March 15, the Class of 2018 went on the annual Senior Transition Retreat at Rainbow Paradise Hotel. Students met at the clock tower and trekked to the hotel next door and settled in the meeting room for the first session.

The first session talked about the struggles and also benefits of Third Culture Kids. "I learned that being a TCK means that you'll fit in more quickly, but you also stand out from others," said Daniel Kim (12).

There were several more sessions throughout the day and students were given free time after lunch to both socialize and rest. Many students gathered in the meeting room to play group games, including cards, while waiting for the next session to begin.

During the session, one of the most memorable activities was the game about the importance and cost of post-secondary education, which was led by Principal Brian Brewster. The game had students do workouts to earn money and also understand the frustration of loans and low-paying jobs. "The game gave me a motivation to actually work out because of money," said Zachary Kok (12).

After several other sessions and a very filling barbecue dinner, students began the intense talk about relationships led by a group of Dalat Alumni and Staff. At the end of the day, the students went to their respected rooms and slept peacefully, awaiting the next day of sessions.

The next day after several rounds, the students got excited hearing about the topic of self-defense. Aiden Frusher (12) became the model for Mr. Bob Pagee who acted out several self-defense tactics and asked Frusher to receive them via the shield.

After the self-defense session, the students went through two more sessions before receiving one last prayer and returning back to school to try on graduation gowns. The students went into the old Jackson dorm, which had been renovated into a conference room, and they lined up in order from shortest to tallest. The room was filled with laughter as seniors realized that graduation was coming a lot sooner than they thought.