Time for The Final Stretch

By Dominic Cheang

There comes a time where every senior is faced with the impending reality of having to graduate, leave Dalat, and go into the wild. For many seniors, this is the Senior Transition Retreat, an annual event planned by the school to aid seniors in their transition to going to university or anywhere else they might go.

Most, if not all, students are faced with the harsh reality that they will be leaving Penang, some for good, a place they have called home for years. For the local Penagites, they are faced with the reality that they will be leaving their home for some 18 odd years to study abroad.

The Senior Transition Retreat has a large focus on giving students advice on how to cope in their transition to a new place. For TCK students, this might be routine, but it will still be a challenge as it will for anyone moving to a different country. The retreat also gives a wide array of advice on various topics that students will face once they go to college and beyond. 

The venue of the retreat this year was the Flamingo Hotel, just down the road from Dalat. At first this was controversial between the students because, unironically, we could still see Dalat from the balconies of our rooms. However, those thoughts and feelings changed immediately after going in. Students were greeted with the familiar ocean view of Tanjung Bungah, surprisingly good food provided by the hotel, and the quality of the rooms.

Some students also commented on how they enjoyed the rooming arrangements and facilities. Evan Kuan said, “I really like how we have conjoined rooms. I feel like it’s a really great opportunity for me to have conversations and get to know my peers better." 

Haylee Douglas said that she “really enjoyed swimming with [her] classmates.”

Students also commented on the topics covered over the retreat as well. Natalie Khor said that she “really liked the relationship panel because we were able to ask the panelists any questions we wanted and they were super real with us.”

Overall, this retreat has provided the Class of 2023 with valuable knowledge and insight into life after high school. We as a class can say that we were ready to face the challenges that will face us in the months ahead.