Hello blogland!

I just got back from Tanzania last night, and while I have many updates for you, I wanted to start by sharing an incredibly cool way that high school seniors from Charlotte, North Carolina impacted our students’ graduation ceremony in Arusha, Tanzania.

Each year Myers Park High School seniors proudly graduate wearing beautiful forest green caps and gowns, and each year the school changes the shade of forest green ever so slightly so that every batch of graduates must purchase a brand new set of caps and gowns. This year TFFT volunteer and club leader Maggie Boorman had the brilliant idea to host a caps and gowns drive. She advertised the initiative and motivated her peers to donate their caps and gowns for our students at Usa River Academy to wear in their own graduation ceremony, which just took place September 15th.

It is hard to describe the students’ excitement when they found out about the caps and gowns! The secondary students wore caps and gowns and the class seven graduates wore caps, and everyone felt very fancy.

Here you can see Maggie wearing her gown in June in Charlotte:

And here you can see our students proudly sporting them in Tanzania in September:

Graduation ceremonies are full of inspiration and reflection. How cool to consider the two sets of graduates who wore these robes. Just think– the great American and Tanzanian leaders of tomorrow may have worn the same robe at graduation! We wish all the graduates luck for their next endeavor, and to the TFFT kids, we are so proud of you!!!