Nexus’ Class of 2026 Celebrate End of Exams at Graduation Ceremony

This week, we were proud to celebrate the graduation of our Class of 2026. Graduation from Secondary School is an emotional and exciting time for our learners and their families. It is a time of reflection, a time of hope and a time of wonder as they nervously await the results before moving on to their next destinations. 

As Dr Heather Millington, Head of Secondary, shared in her opening speech, our current Year 13 cohort were born around the time of the launch of the iPhone 3G, the year of Usain Bolt’s world-record Olympic win and the creation of the App store and the Facebook mobile app. They were born into a time of great change and uncertainty with the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. And yet, our Year 13s have gone above and beyond in every opportunity that has been presented to them and have completed their IBDP exams with grace, resilience, and what is sure to be great success. 

What perhaps stood out most of all through the learners’ and teachers’ speeches were not the academic outcomes, the subjects they have studied and exams they have revised for, but rather the relationships that they have developed during their time at Nexus. Whether learners had been at Nexus for their whole education, or just a few years, it was clear that the relationships between learners and teachers are the things that stay with them long after they have left the school. Some of our learners described the friendships they have made here at Nexus as their forever family, and no matter which country they end up in, they know they have a community to rely on. 

Learners spoke passionately about their relationships with each other, their teachers and of course, their families. They spoke about how the Nexus community had been there for them throughout the ups and downs of the IB diploma. Our learners showed gratitude for the opportunities they have had: reflecting enthusiastically about the unforgettable CAS experiences in Cambodia, Nepal and Indonesia and the opportunities these trips had provided for personal growth. They showed joy in each other’s successes and showed us that they have developed into great human beings who can, and will, make a difference in society. 

In her closing remarks, Dr Heather reminded our learners that “in a world full of algorithms, hashtags and followers, it is so important that we don’t lose sight of the importance of human connection.” We know that our learners will take the lessons they learned during their time at Nexus with them and approach the challenges they face head-on, knowing that there will be people supporting them along the way.

From Maastricht to Manchester, Cambridge to Cornell, Bocconi to Berklee, our learners are heading across the globe for their next steps and we couldn’t be prouder of the young adults they have become, and we can’t wait to see all that they go on to achieve.

Thank you to all of the learners who contributed to the evening in a variety of ways: from musical performances and videos they had created to speeches they had written and as our talented MCs. Thank you also to our dedicated group of Year 13 learners who formed the Graduation organising committee and decided on key elements like catering and decorations for the event between completing their assessments and revising for their exams.