10 Years of Walking with the World: Keystone Celebrates its 10th Anniversary with Charity Gala
Walking through the picturesque entryway to Hong Yan Hall on the evening of May 11, guests at the Keystone 10th Anniversary Charity Gala | A Symphony of Hopes, Dreams, and Vision: 10 Years of Walking with the World were greeted by a charity auction of student artwork to their right, and a photo gallery chronicling how the school grew over the past decade to their left. As one walked along the ten-year timeline, the photos provided a striking visual story. Keystone started off small, a tight group of committed leaders with a powerful vision for a New World School. The first photos show their smiling faces, seemingly full of lively ideas of what the school might look like in the future. Moving down the wall, these simple beginnings give way to pictures of more and more new faces – students, teachers, and parents, all contributing to the growth of the school. At the end of the wall, just before arriving at the lavish arrangement of refreshments, one can comprehend the amazing changes that has transpired since Keystone’s founding in 2014, all possible thanks to the amazing community that has flourished with the school.
Ten years of inspirational education at Keystone is a momentous occasion, worthy of a monumental celebration. After a Head of School Roundtable and School Carnival, the Charity Gala was the culmination of a spring season of festivity! Keystonians past and present, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends and family all made their way to the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention Center for the gala. But it was Keystone’s students who were the heart of this special evening.
Student spirit flowed through the 10th Anniversary Charity Gala like clear water in a peaceful stream, brightening everything it touched. The Charity Auction that took place near the entry to Hong Yan Hall was filled with beautiful artwork created by students from Primary to Secondary School. In addition to providing funds for the school’s charitable endeavors, the student works livened up the venue, each piece radiating with the artist’s own creativity and passions and demonstrating the diversity of expression found at Keystone. The feelings contained in the brushstrokes of these young artists contributed to the amazing gala atmosphere.
After guests had time to browse the photo gallery and the charity auction, they moved into the spacious Hong Yan Hall, enveloped in a darkness reminiscent of the beautiful night sky that evening. On stage, Keystone students shown as brightly as the spotlights they were under. Student hosts, Anna Xiang and Harrison Pan greeted the audience, and the Keystone Yunyin Orchestra and Keystone Wanxiang Dance Group welcomed everyone with beautiful music and dance. Student performers then took the stage, acting out 10 chapters of immersive drama detailing the story of growing up at Keystone – a story shared by every student but made uniquely their own through their passions and interests. The Keystone Yugezi Children’s Chorus, Nezha Drama performer, and Keystone Secondary School Wushu team also joined in for this lively act, telling an unforgetable tale of coming of age at Keystone.
The energy from the student performers and musicians emanated from the stage, enveloping the room and drifting out into the clear night beyond. As Keystone’s Executive Head of School, Dr. Emily McCarren said in her speech before the performance, the actions of Keystone students and the school community have a far-reaching impact.
“We are all here tonight because we love and believe in Keystone Academy. These shared feelings of purpose and wisdom and joy create an impact of peace, hope, and understanding that radiates out from our little campus in Shunyi. May the lives of Keystonians past and present continue to be a call for a more peaceful planet – a future built by hearts and minds shaped by Ren, Yi Li, Zhi, Xin.”
Truly, this was not only the celebration of a school anniversary, but the commemoration of all the amazing work the Keystone community has accomplished over the past decade. This magical event was all possible thanks to the hard work of so many Keystonians. Keystone gives special thanks to all the performers, hosts, and parent volunteers who made the 10th Anniversary Charity Gala such a stupendous spectacle! Thanks to all the student artists and teachers for providing artwork for the charity auction. Also, a huge thank you to the executive support team: the Keystone PTA, Health Center, Finance Department, Operations Department, Facilities Department, Security Department, and IT Department for supporting this event. And thanks to Compass for catering this event and the Keystone Transportation Team for providing shuttles to and from the venue. This community collaboration made the gala a night to remember for years to come.
As the 10th Anniversary Charity Gala ended, the Yunyin Orchestra closed the credits with a powerful crescendo. Although the guests began to trickle out of Hong Yan Hall, the excitement held in the air long after the vibrations of the final notes faded away. It truly did not feel like the end of a wonderful evening, but more like the beginning of a whole new journey the school was set to embark upon, one reaching even further into the world. Happy 10th anniversary to Keystone, and here’s to many more decades of walking with the world through educational excellence to come!
