Ella arrived at Newark Airport from Bellingham, Washington, in the middle of the night, January 2007. We were there waiting to welcome her, comfort her, and clean her off after a cross-country flight that changed her and our lives forever.
She was a part of our family before we even became a family. Ella joined us before we married, before our son grew up, before our daughter was born, before we added four more dogs.
She was a little chocolate brown labradoodle, who proved her strength and fierceness early on when she brought a dead baby bunny back into our house.
She was, as my wife called her, my “constant companion.” Long before the pandemic and even after it, she quietly sat in my office, hearing every conversation, watching every live shot, knowing all the news before it was reported. She didn’t care what the stories were; she just was happy being with me.
When she did leave my office, she loved walks and car rides. She always knew which button to push to lower the window so she could stick her head out and feel the wind in her face.
Over the years, the rides and walks became more infrequent. She lost her vision and hearing. She developed doggy dementia, which led to seizures and breathing issues. She was in diapers. Her dark chocolate brown coat turned gray. But as much as her life changed, she was most happy in our arms or in our bed, laying with us, licking our faces.
Yet Ella’s good days dwindled, and as tough as it was – and we agonized over it -- it became time to let her go. We did that Thursday, an all-time sad day.
For the third time in just over 18 months, we lost one of our beloved furry friends, our other children. We lost Benny in January 2025, Bailey this March, and now Ella. It’s too much. We now are down to two dogs, Apple and Brady. Our house feels empty and our hearts feel broke. Ella’s pain has been transferred to us.
Ella lived almost 20 years – she would have been 20 in November - and was a part of our graduations, celebrations, happy and sad moments. We know what we had and what she meant. But for all the time we had together -- and it was more than most get -- it still wasn’t enough.
We always will remember and love our little Ellies.
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Hand in hand with fellow NextGen, our lovely class of 2026 ran across the Tsinghua campus one more time — marking youth, friendship, and graduation in bloom.
Families traveled from around the world to celebrate one unforgettable milestone at Peking University's Yenching Academy.
For the Class of 2026, graduation wasn't just the end of a chapter. It was a moment shared with the people who supported them every step of the way.
💌 From heartfelt wishes to proud smiles, here's what their loved ones wanted to say to their graduates. ❤️
PKU Graduation 2026 |
Starrying Eri Cleo Kyu, Joseph Bongard, Liu Yuhan, Nino Nadirashvili, René Neumann, Xu Yuwei;
Produced by Nicole Ang, Aneka Rebecca Rajbhandari, Aurelia Pavitta
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If your years at PKU had a theme song, what would it be?
We gave our graduating PKUers a mic, some random question boards, and zero prep time.
This is Reply 2026: PKU Graduates. A collection of memories, confessions, inside jokes, and dreams for the future.
PKUers, what's your answer? 💬
PKU Graduation 2026 | Produced by Mao Yi'an, Gao Heyashu, Chen Siyang, Wang Shuyi, Jin Shuhan
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Caps on, memories unlocked
As graduation season arrives at PKU, students return to the campus spots that mean the most to them, sharing stories, reflections, and the moments they'll never forget.
From nervous first days to unforgettable final days, this Q&A relay is full of laughter, gratitude, and a little bit of nostalgia.
Once a PKUer, always a PKUer ❤️
PKU Graduation 2026 | Produced by He Hongyu, Zhang Xinyi, Liu Jiani, Li Gengyao, Zhou Yuting, Zhang Wenjun
Starring Fabiyi Oluwasegun Michael, Bella Gualano, Nicole Ang, Miao Xuyuan
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Graduation 2026 means packing years of the Tsinghua Journey into one suitcase. What would you keep? Today, we’ve invited Jazzlyn, Class of 2026, from
@SEM_Tsinghua. Let’s open her suitcase together and see the story inside. Tell us in the comments: what would you take with you?
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This is the graduation ceremony at the University of the Arts London.
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Graduation isn’t just an ending — it’s the beginning of a beautiful next chapter. For the Class of 2026, handwritten notes tucked inside flowers became a small surprise to honor their Tsinghua journey, their growth, and the bright future ahead. Keep making us proud!
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Imagine having this happen on stage at graduation with everyone watching