No Longer This Person

Ben heads to graduation, mask in hand

Ben heads to graduation, mask in hand

On Friday we celebrated Ben’s graduation. As always, it was a solemn, sweet, fun and meaningful experience filled with several rituals that intentionally fill this rite of passage. One of the early actions a graduate takes during his ceremony is the burning of his mask. The mask is symbolic of the person he used to be. Like a snake leaving behind its skin, he burns the mask to represent he is no longer this person.

Ben’s graduation was filled with comments about his attention to detail. So, it is fitting that the process showcased here of creating (and destroying) a mask reflects Ben’s simple yet detailed reflection on the person he was and has grown out of. There are two short videos below. The first is of Therapist Carla Shorts applying the plaster casting to cast a mold of Ben’s face. The second is a quick slideshow of the complete journey from casting to burning.

Congratulations, Ben! We are proud of you and the hard work you have done on your journey of self-discovery!

Video of Ben’s mask being created (1:12):
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ebi2rXHd7w

Slides of the whole process (:29):
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IykzQF7bCk0

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posted by jleslie in Discovering What is Real and True and have Comments (4)

4 Responses to “No Longer This Person”

  1. Ronnie Duncan says:

    Wow. Thank you for this posting. We parents love to get a glimpse of the key inside moments at CCBS, and clearly graduation is the biggest of them all. The symbolism is fantastic.

    Congratulations Ben!

  2. Beth Black says:

    Absolutely fabulous! I loved having the video. I know how powerful it is for the students to create their masks and reflect on themselves and the journey of self-discovery they have been on. Ben, it is a beautiful face, indeed! I wish you the very best and please know how much I will miss you! Love to your mom and sister, too. Carla will be seeing you as she runs the marathon in Chicago!

  3. Kimball Thomas says:

    Congratulations Ben and best wishes to you and your family.

  4. Christina Horton says:

    Would just like to say Hello to Beth and all the staff. My son Cory Chappelear graduated in 2005, one of the first few graduates from CCBS. Just wanted to let you know how encouraging it is to see how many young mens lives you are touching and how many families you are bringing together. Cory is now 22 and has a 2yr old daughter. Again just a HUGE thank you for all that you do………
    Sincerely,
    Christy Horton