Cairo American College Graduation

"Commencement @ The Pyramids" • Colleen Crawford graduates from the prestigious Cairo American College (CAC), in Cairo Egypt. 5,000 people regularly attend this graduation which takes place out doors in the shadow of the Great Giza Pyramid. The largest pyramid ever built it is located southwest of modern Cairo. Built for king Khufu, this pyramid was completed around 2550 BC. Cairo American College, founded in 1945, is a world class learning environment that affirms the voice, passions and talents of students and inspires them to use their hearts and minds as global citizens.

The Cairo American College graduation was held on Friday morning at the Sound And Light theatre at the Sphinx.

My high school graduation was a ceremony that took place in the school auditorium on a June evening in 1967. Do I even need to ask which event would be more memorable? The school has been holding its graduation ceremonies in the location for over fifty years. This year's graduating class at CAC was pretty representative with about 121+ graduating seniors from twelve different countries. Although it's called Cairo American College, about half of the students are Egyptian, and over two thirds are usually non-American. But the curriculum is American, even when the culture is a fascinating pot pouri. In recent years with the American concern for safety abroad, the school has become more security conscioius, to the bewilderment of many of the students. Consider the oddity of protecting students from members of their own society. The fact is that most of the students find themselves happily at home in Cairo once the strangeness has worn off. The general safety in the streets (as long as you aren't crossing them!), the richness of the culture, the array of things to do, and the relative inexpensiveness of moving about that gives them freedom in the city are pretty seductive.

I sat there with my friends listening to the student speakers framed against the pyramids and I looked around me. Massive extended families cheered for many of the Egyptian graduates. The scene was one of friendly solidarity. The podium was flanked by enormous American and Egyptian flags, a sheikh called for a blessing of the graduates at the beginning of the ceremony while the pastor of the Maadi Community Church blessed the group at the end. No matter where the children came from originally, they all acknowledged that their lives had been changed by living in Egypt.

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[profess1000]

GREAT Video!!!

Felt like I was at the graduation. What a thrill for a young American girl to get an education in a foreign country with such a diverse mix of exposures. I'll be interesting to look back years from now to see how this young lady does in life. What a great start!!!