Day 64, 24May10

Well graduation season is upon us. Tamiscal High School has their graduation on Tuesday, 08Jun10, followed by Redwood HS on Thursday, 10Jun10. We are hoping to attend both to see Alicia's friends matriculate. We talked about it tonight that I want to be careful just showing up for graduation ceremonies. This day is about the graduates and the focus should be that. I do not want to distract from their moment in the spot light. But it would mean a lot for us to see her friends in their moment. We'll probably call the principles of both schools to make sure it would be OK. I may just be paranoid, but I want to be cautious.

Her friends are about to scatter to the wind. Colleges in Vermont, Washington, Oregon, California etc. I'm sure we will miss seeing them. Hopefully they will come back to visit us while on break.

It's official now. The Alicia Scott Lee scholarship has taken off with it's first scholar, Erica Stemple going to the University of Puget Sound.

'The Alicia Scott Lee Scholarship is a $2000 college scholarship awarded annually in memory of Alicia Scott Lee of the 2009 Team class. Recipients are chosen on the basis of financial need, academic achievement, communal engagement, and love of wilderness adventure. '

Thus far, we have enough funds to donate $2000 per year for a few years. To keep this going, I plan to make this my annual charitable contribution.

We also talked to the head of the TEAM program about organizing to off set their funding to keep their program. TEAM is a great outdoor leadership experiential program. (http://tamdistrict.schoolwires.net/171220626164714707/site/default.asp?171220626164714707Nav=|&NodeID=300). Their unique mix of outdoor learning, academics, community service, and career internship is an amazing horizon broadening experience.

It is still very hard. I found myself this morning standing in Alicia's room just staring. Not saying or moving... just staring. I am not sure how I got there...but there I was. I think about these milestone dates up coming and I feel sad that Alicia is not here with us. She will not experience HS graduation, or going to college. These are memories that are etched in my mind through out all these years.