Written by Class of 2025
Photos by Emily Tan and Gabby Nguyen (Class of 2026)
On June 6th, 2024, chatter and laughter filled the air as parents and teachers arrived, filling the quiet grounds of Instilling Goodness Developing Virtue Girl School in the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas with an atmosphere of excitement and reflection. The graduation ceremony, held in the Wonderful Words Hall, was a beautiful testament to the dedication and hard work of our students. Wearing their elegant blue graduation gowns, the graduates embodied the eight core virtues that are the cornerstone of our school’s philosophy. It was heartwarming to witness the proud smiles of parents, teachers, and fellow students as each graduate stepped forward to receive her diploma, a symbol of a station in their journeys and processes of welcoming to enter the next chapter in their lives.
In the closing moments of the ceremony, as the younger classmates sang songs to send best wishes to congratulate the graduates, there was a palpable sense of accomplishment and anticipation on all the graduate’s faces. The paths they are set to embark upon are as diverse as the students themselves, with all of them heading to prestigious universities such as Stanford University (Katherine Wang), University of California, Irvine (Erica Lai, Shine Yuan), Emerson College (Hailey Tran), and Rutgers University (Cherry Ngo). These young women, who have blossomed under the guidance of Instilling Goodness Developing Virtue Girls’ School, are now ready to spread their wings and bring the values of the eight virtues and wisdom into the wider world. As other students bid them farewell, they remain confident that their futures will be bright and that they will continue to inspire others with the teachings and spirit of the Buddhist principles they’ve learnt throughout the years. We will continue to chronicle our journey with heart of gratitude along with the upcoming peregrination. Dear Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Darma Masters, teachers and parents, thank you for all the things you have done and we truly appreciate you and are grateful for your support!
