Most people attend a reunion.  

The Class of 2016 built a weekend around it. 

Ten years after graduation, alumni travelled from across Greece and returned to St. Catherine's last weekend. Some even rearranged summer plans. All made the journey back to reconnect with the people who had shared some of the most formative years of their lives. 

And once everyone was together, nobody seemed particularly keen to leave. 

The official celebrations began with a tour of St. Catherine's Upper School building, which opened years after the Class of 2016 had graduated. For many alumni, it was their first glimpse of a side of the school they had never experienced as students. 

But when it came time for the reunion itself, this year group were particularly specific about where they wanted to be. Lower School. 

The place where their St Cats story began. The place that held their childhood memories. 

It isn't about a date in the calendar. It's about creating the opportunity to return to the people who shared an important chapter of your life. It was a reminder of how much St. Catherine's has grown over the last decade. 

Classrooms were left open throughout the evening, allowing alumni to revisit familiar spaces, wander through the corridors and step back into time, seeing rooms they had not entered in a decade. 

Yearbooks left out on tables quickly became a crowd favourite. The slideshow triggered waves of laughter. More stories resurfaced. Memories became increasingly detailed as the evening progressed. 

There was a recurring theme throughout the evening: some things had changed dramatically over the last ten years, while others seemed not to have changed at all. More than one alum commented that the school even smelled exactly as they remembered. 

Ten years after leaving school, the people they most wanted to see were not only their classmates, but the teachers who had encouraged them, challenged them and helped shape the people they would become. Many alumni spoke about the lasting influence their teachers had on their lives, while several teachers admitted afterwards how emotional it was to see the Class of 2016 together again. 

One of the most meaningful parts of the evening was welcoming back former teachers and staff. In fact, every teacher who attended had been requested by our alumni - and they made sure to show up.  

That says everything. 

The affection, gratitude and respect in the room was impossible to miss. 

It was a powerful reminder that while graduation marks the end of school, it rarely marks the end of the relationships formed in our community. 

Long before the reunion evening arrived, plans were already underway. Classmates had organised a dinner the night before, ensuring nobody had to wait until the official reunion to start out to Island to continue the celebrations. By Sunday, the group had planned to gather once again for a beach day, making the most of a rare weekend when more than 40 classmates found themselves in the same place at the same time. 

That is the magic of alumni reunions. 

A special thank you goes to alumna Tatiana Papazoglou, whose determination, enthusiasm and countless hours behind the scenes helped bring the reunion to life. Working closely with the Alumni Office, she played a central role in reconnecting classmates, coordinating logistics and shaping the weekend from start to finish. 

In a wonderful example of alumni giving back, Tatiana brought her team from Pro Events, the family event company she now helps lead, to support the evening. From the thoughtful details and smooth organisation to the disposable cameras and Polaroid station that captured memories throughout the night, her contribution helped transform the reunion into something truly special. 

The result was an evening that felt both beautifully organised and unmistakably personal. Created by alumni, for alumni. 

"The atmosphere was incredible. What stood out most was how much this group genuinely wanted to spend time together. They didn't come back for an event; they came back for each other. Watching alumni reconnect with teachers, revisit Lower School and pick up friendships exactly where they left them was a wonderful reminder of what makes the St Catherine's community so special."  - Deborah Eleftheriou, Head of Alumni Relations 

Ten years after graduation, the Class of 2016 reminded us that alumni relations is not simply about staying connected to a school. 

It's about staying connected to the people whose lives became intertwined there. 

Good friends. 

Great teachers. 

And, in the case of the Class of 2016, the shared belief that one evening together was simply not enough. 

Think you might recognise a few faces? Browse the gallery below.