raven read

When Magda and Flor found each other forty years after having studied at Maur Hill-Mount Academy, they wanted to see whether others from their class could be reached as well. After a few months, one by one, they had reached to over thirty alumni who shared the same dorms with them in 1980. It was only a year, but these were days spent in each other’s company all day and all night. It was only a year, but they shared the memories of a strange land where they learned a new language and culture together. It was only a year, but that year left an indelible mark on their lives.

When much was shared during such tender years of one’s life, connecting over the internet is not enough. This wonderful group of ladies started to have a reunion in a different Mexican city every year. Last month, they gathered together at Progresso, a beautiful little town along the breath-taking Gulf of Mexico. As it happened, they wanted to reach out to yours truly to ask for some memorabilia for their reunion. But simple swag would not do! So, I showed up at their door to hear their stories.

When I left them, my heart was full of joy and a renewed appreciation of what we aim to provide our students. After the photo shoot, we ate dinner where everyone talked about their favorite teacher, high school crushes and whether the stores they frequented were still open. The yearbooks came out and I tried to find everyone’s pictures. It was an evening of good food, music and love.

Yet, it was also sad, because one does not go through forty years of life without heartbreak and grief. Losses of husbands and children, cartel violence and financial difficulties were some of the curve balls. But, even after all these years, they shared each other’s burdens as if they were sisters. The bond of friendship that were created in the halls of a boarding school in Kansas were so strong that the merciless hands of time could not break them. Throughout the year, they share the ups and downs of life and they advise and console each other. The crucible of life could not destroy the friendships formed in Atchison.

Enjoy below the pictures and videos of these remarkable ladies, who will receive the Alumni of the Year Award at our annual gala. May their stories be a reminder that Maur Hill-Mount Academy is a place where your students can develop friendships that stand the test of time.