On Sunday, May 23, Akiba Academy graduated 23 students who marched right across the stage at Congregation Tiferet Israel and onto a plane headed to Washington, D.C. to explore what being a Jewish American really means. At the graduation ceremony David Veeder, Akiba alumnus and president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, addressed the graduating class and wished them bon voyage on their journey. Each student also presented reflections on his or her time at Akiba. Graduate Shanee Abouzaglo reminisced, “When I look back at my 10 years at Akiba, it seems like only yesterday we had our first-grade hot chocolate day, our second-grade spelling bees or our fourth-grade State Fair. But as my years at Akiba come to a finish, countless incredible memories rush through my mind, and I notice how fast time has flown by. Only now do I realize how fortunate I was to have grown up as part of the united Akiba family.”