Alder Creek Middle School Graduation, June 2023

We gathered for my daughter's middle school graduation in late June. The students were all milling around outside beforehand, a mix of excitement and nerves against a simple concrete wall. She found her friends, everyone dressed up for the occasion. She wore a white dress, as did many of the other girls.

Then we all filed into the school gymnasium. The familiar sight of basketball hoops and folding chairs set the scene for the ceremony. It felt like every family from the area was packed in there to watch the kids move on to the next chapter. The diploma itself was in a simple red cover, marking the official end of this phase.

After the ceremony, the gym was a happy chaos of families, friends, and balloons. I managed to get a quick photo with her and a red carnation before she was off celebrating with her classmates. It's a classic, proud parent moment.

To cap it all off, I wanted to include this charcoal portrait she did this year. It feels like a fitting representation of this moment in her life, looking ahead to what's next.