It’s that time of year again at Chrysalis School … the time of year I both love and dread. Love, because it is the season of program graduations, and there is nothing more inspiring and humbling and wonderful than to witness the culmination of a student and her family’s work and progress here at Chrysalis. Dread, because it’s time for that student and her family to spread their wings and leave our community, and we will miss them so. The up-side to both the love and the dread part of this is that a relationship has been formed that will stay with each of us for a lifetime.
For those who haven’t had the privilege to be at one of our program graduations, let me explain how this amazing experience goes. As with any graduation, this is a milestone, a big event, a time to be shared with family and friends. Families come to Montana, and friends on campus are invited. As part of the tradition, a special sterling silver Chrysalis ring is hand-crafted for the graduate. Stories are told, tears are shed, laughter is shared, and proud smiles abound, making a memory that will last a lifetime.
Program graduation is a goal set for each student from the time she arrives at Chrysalis. In the early days, it may seem unattainable and something so distant it’s hard for her to imagine. It’s truly an honor to watch a young woman as she begins to see some glimmer of who she is and just how strong and capable she can be. As she begins to understand that being present in the moment, choosing to go through obstacles, not searching for a way around them, a transformation begins, and for those of us lucky enough to witness this, it’s a gift. I think I speak for all of Chrysalis School when I say we love our students and their families, we pour our hearts and souls into their work, and as our hearts hurt when they do, our hearts sing when they succeed.
As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” I believe program graduations are the launching pad for those beautiful dreams, and I am so thankful to be a part of them.
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By Robin Greene, Admissions Counselor at Chrysalis School
