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"Transitioning to the Next" by Sarang Jin

Dalat offers a unique transitional bonding experience for seniors called the Senior Transition Retreat. Basically, this retreat is all about leaving well and entering well. The first day of this retreat focused on leaving well, and the second day on entering well. The words "leaving" and "entering" stood out to me because they reminded me that we will leave this place soon. 


As we, the seniors, leave our beloved place and start a new chapter in our lives, we can expect nothing about what will happen next. This Senior Transition Retreat held deep conversations between peers and the teachers, who thankfully volunteered to help us. 


Chavelle Thornton (12) said, “It was really great to have one last opportunity to bond with our class.” It was an amazing experience to hang out with my classmates who will not be able to see each other often once we graduate. We went to the 1st Avenue mall to eat and do some activities together, which were the arcade and roller skating. This was the peak of this retreat. Also, we had a relationship panel session at the end of the first day of the seminar. The class was divided into two groups by gender: one group had a conversation with the women's panel, and the other with the men's panel. Then we switched. This was a unique experience, as we could ask many challenging questions about relationships and get really great answers or solutions from the panels.


It was for sure helpful to my friends and me to think more seriously about starting the new chapter. It is a little nervous and exciting at the same time. However, through this seminar, I gained a lot of courage. I hope to leave well and enter well.


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