Abitur 2025: Celebration full of emotions, music and gratitude in Greven!

Abitur 2025: Celebration full of emotions, music and gratitude in Greven!

On June 30, 2025, families, teachers and numerous guests gathered in a festive atmosphere to celebrate the special graduating class of Nelson Mandela Secondary School. Under the motto “Mamma mia – here we never go again,” the graduates looked back on their school days and enjoyed an evening full of personal words and musical performances.

The event was opened by Jonas Lönne from year 10, who created a great atmosphere right from the start with his saxophone piece to “Mamma Mia”. An impulse contribution from the Q1 religion and philosophy courses, led by Pastor Jörn Witthinrich and school pastor Lisa Sauer, offered particular inspiration that was influenced by Nelson Mandela. School representative Meliha Usta thanked her warmly for the open reception after her secondary school graduation and thus also drew the connection to her previous school days.

Appreciation of achievements

Headmaster Ingo Krimphoff, senior school head Ingo Koschinski and parent representatives Dana Clausnitzer and Silke Schlautmann expressed their appreciation for the students' achievements. Mayor Dietrich Aden in particular praised the political commitment of the students who worked as election workers in the last federal election. The student council was represented by Nina Süß, Jaron Ebbigmann and Luis Lönne, as well as retrospective statements from guidance counselors Felix Engelhardt and Philipp Klumpe, who rehashed their time in high school in a humorous way, inspired by the music of ABBA.

Musical contributions from students, such as Julian Stephan with “K.O.” and Sanja Kindler on the violin with “The Winner Takes It All” enriched the festival program. A moving moment was the students' thanks to their parents for their support and patience during their time at school, followed by the official handover of their high school diplomas. The graduates were able to enjoy a champagne reception, which offered the opportunity for personal exchange between guests, teachers and the newly graduated high school graduates.

An unforgettable farewell

The list of graduates includes names such as Theres Bakac, Ben Rudolf Bothe, Laura Eilers and Maja Marie Peppenhorst, to name just a few. The celebration not only recognized the students' achievements, but was also a symbol of cohesion and community at Nelson Mandela Secondary School. This final year thus puts a brilliant end to an intensive phase that began in 2019 with the school's first year, when eight teachers and 78 students ventured into class in a former secondary school under very challenging conditions.

Graduation ceremonies are not only a celebration of achievements, but also a time to reminisce together. The ideas for such celebrations are endless. A creative design, be it a Hollywood glamor setting or a carnivalesque atmosphere, gives the occasion a special touch. In addition, with DIY decorations and regional snacks, as suggested in the Callie Blog, you can keep costs down while creating an unforgettable celebration.

All in all, it can be said that school time not only includes learning and growing, but also contains a multitude of unforgettable moments, which were duly celebrated here. Thanks go to everyone who made this inspiring event possible.