A Night to Remember: Celebrating the Class of 2026 in Vicenza

There are evenings that feel like the natural closing of a long, meaningful chapter. The DP2 Graduation Ceremony at our Vicenza Campus was exactly that: a moment suspended between memory and possibility, where two years (and for many, far more) of dedication, growth, and shared experiences came together in a single, heartfelt celebration.

As students, families, teachers, and staff gathered to mark this milestone, the atmosphere was charged with the kind of emotion that only true endings can bring. Endings that, as one of our graduates, Viviana, beautifully reminded us, “do not mean disappearance.” The memories, the people, and the moments lived during these years will stay with them, in one way or another, wherever life takes them next.

A Journey That Asked for Everything

The Diploma Programme is not an easy path. It asks for discipline, resilience, curiosity, and independence. It asks students to face deadlines, internal assessments, extended essays, and Theory of Knowledge, often all at once. It asks them to brainstorm for hours, sometimes only to end up right where they started, and to begin again the next morning with the same determination.

And yet, this is the class that did it. Tirelessly. Relentlessly. Together.

As Mr. David Coppard, Head of the DP Programme, reminded us during the ceremony, this group of students has been “tireless, determined and relentless in their pursuit of success.” Some of them have walked through our doors for two years, others for three, four, even more than ten. Each of them, in their own way, has contributed to building the identity of a class that has truly become a family.

Words That Stay With Us

The ceremony was woven together by voices that captured, each in their own register, what this moment really meant.

Mrs. Alessandra Chiovati, Head of School, reflected on how rare and precious it is to witness students grow from nursery children into the “remarkable young women and men they are today,” and reminded the graduates that this is one of those rare moments in life when endless opportunities lie before them. “Please choose wisely,” she said, “but above all, choose what truly makes you happy.”

Mr. José Garcia spoke directly to the graduates with words that resonated deeply: “You will discover that life does not always follow the timetable we prepared for it, and that some of the most important lessons arrive without a syllabus, a rubric or a deadline extension.” A reminder that the most meaningful chapters of their lives are still to be written, often in ways they cannot yet imagine.

And then came the students themselves, Viviana and Gianmaria, who took the stage and spoke not only as graduates, but as friends, classmates, and witnesses of one another’s growth. “Growing up also means letting go of a part of what we know,” they said, “and having the courage to make space for what will come.” A truth that filled the room with both pride and quiet emotion.

A Moment of Gratitude

No graduation is ever just about the students. It is also about those who walked beside them.

To the families who trusted us with their children, who supported them, encouraged them, and loved them through every success and every difficult moment: thank you. You invested in their education, but even more importantly, you helped shape the people they are today.

To the teachers who, as Mrs. Chiovati so beautifully put it, “constantly go far beyond their so-called job,” showing passion, commitment, and dedication in every moment spent with their students: thank you.

And to Miss Rossella, our student officer, whose presence in the daily life of the school is a quiet, steady source of warmth, a special thank you. As she reminded everyone with her unforgettable words: “Kind words are like ointment. You speak them and they melt tensions, lift moods, scatter anger.” Words that have certainly accompanied this class through every moment of doubt, every celebration, every step of the way.

Looking Ahead

Some of our graduates will continue their studies in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Portugal, and beyond; others will take a gap year, not to rest, but to discover.
Wherever they go, they carry with them the values, the friendships, and the experiences built within these walls.

As Gianmaria said, quoting his English teacher: “You are the authors of your own destinies.” And tonight, more than ever, we believe it.

To the Class of 2026: you are not only preparing for the future. You are the future. And whenever you feel nostalgic, remember that this school will always be your home.

Congratulations. You’ve made it. 💙