Celebrating the graduates of 2021
Photo by: Beks in Paris
What a year it’s been for our seniors?! (And their supportive parents!)
Whether in high school or college, they’ve completed their final academic year under uniquely challenging and unusual circumstances. But they completed it! Making them not just the graduates of 2021 but the brave, unstoppable Class of 2021.
And a year with graduates like none other deserve celebration like none other. That doesn’t mean the most elaborate gifts or parties. It means a recognition that our graduates have been extraordinary in extraordinary times.
Here are some ideas of how to celebrate them!
🎓 Encourage them to participate in graduation ceremonies and celebrations.
I’ve heard many graduates say, “It’s just a drive-by / virtual celebration; I think I’ll skip it.”
Don’t! What we regret most in life are the things we didn’t do.
Graduation ceremonies and celebrations this year may be very different from the traditional ones we’re used to seeing, but that doesn’t make them any less significant, exciting, or commemorative. If you’re a graduate or have a graduate in your life, don’t miss out on the ceremonies just because they look different. They’ll be every bit as significant, on the day and looking back on them later in life.
Photo by: Achim in Miami
🎓 Celebrate them in a personal way.
This past year we’ve spent a lot of time with ourselves, hopefully getting back in touch with what is most important to us. For our young graduates, that is still a journey in process as they leave one realm of growth in order to head out on the continued path of self-discovery. But in this past year, they’ve learned important lessons about themselves and who they are, and that is exactly what we want to celebrate this graduation season.
If your graduate loves parties and attention, throw them a safe bash with their friends and family. If they prefer something low-key, honor that part of them and opt for something more intimate. Graduation celebrations should be about them and their accomplishments, especially this year!
So whatever you do, make sure the day and festivities celebrate who they are. If you’re in need of ideas on how to do just that, check out these suggestions from Oprah Daily and Woman’s Day.
🎓 Commemorate this important accomplishment with images and words.
When I graduated from high school, my mother gave me a beautiful journal filled with messages from all my family and friends. I also had countless photographs were taken, not only at the graduation ceremony but before and afterward, with the people, I cared about most. And years later, I treasure these pictures and messages.
Special occasions and important accomplishments, like graduation, should be celebrated at the time and remembered always. Through the art of writing, we can make sure our thoughts and love are carried with our graduates as they continue their life journeys. At the same time, the power of photography helps preserve memories of good times and successes to bolster us during the inevitable challenges of life. Use both to commemorate your graduate’s achievement and support them going forward!
To help on the photography end, we are offering a special discount this month. Just use the code at checkout to ensure your graduate’s accomplishments are captured forever!
📸 Use code SUMMER 1 for $20 off a 1-hour package
📸 Use code SUMMER 2 for $30 off a 2-hour package
📸 Use code SUMMER 3 for $40 off a 3-hour package
🎓 Finally, make it a celebration of hope, light, and the future!
It’s taken resiliency, hope, and keeping their eyes on the prize for our seniors to get through this past year. They had to stay focused on the work at hand but also trust that it would all be worth it. And it will! Now that they’ve done it let’s forget the hardships and uncertainty and celebrate the future!
As you celebrate your graduates, in whatever way best suits them, invite hope and lightheartedness to the party. Though life still looks different, remind them of all the possibilities, the places they will travel to, the wonderful people they will meet, and the ways they will make this world better, just by being their wonderful, kind, unstoppable selves!
We’ve come a long way this year. And our graduates will be a huge part of the world that is reopening as they walk forward into new careers, new studies, and new adventures. The world truly is their opening oyster! We’re ready to celebrate them both!