Graduation season is here—congratulations to all who are moving on to the next chapter of life! With graduation comes caps and gowns, and some grads take the liberty to get creative by decorating their caps, representing their years of hard work in rhinestones, applicqués, sentimental lyrics, quotes, and other sayings that speak to the student’s journey. Recent graduates share their photos through Instagram and TikTok, showing off their creative expression.
The quote “Long story short, I survived” comes from Taylor Swift’s “Long Story Short” from the evermore album, a reflection on the past and the journey one went through to get to where they are today; the journey is long and difficult, but at the end of the day, they survived. Emma Broome captures that road to graduation through this lyric, covering her cap with a beautiful ensemble of flowers and butterflies.
Laryssa Meira posted the process of designing her cap on TikTok (@meiralaryssa), and it’s safe to say that she was prepared to go all out. On top, one can see the bedazzled background and the words, “I normally wear a crown but today this will do it.” The same material lines the bottom of the cap as well—impeccable detail. The black feathers around the edge and the dangling jewels turn the cap into the crown that this graduate has earned.
This beautifully Midnights-coded hat has lyrics from Taylor Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” What starts as a song about loneliness and the struggles of making it in the world ends with an uplifting message of not being afraid to face life wherever the journey may take you. Swift delivered similar lines in her commencement speech for the class of 2022 at New York University, where she emphasized that even though the students were now on their own, there was something powerful about taking the next step and grabbing ahold of your future on your own. Ashley Pedersen’s graduation cap represents those sentiments, and it is a beautiful message for those entering their next stage in life.
This cap would’ve said “Class of 2024,” but this graduate has crossed it out to display in big numbers “2023.” Rather than four years, she cut down that time to three years. Because “what, like it’s hard?” This iconic quote comes from Legally Blonde in reference to Elle Woods getting into Harvard Law School. It’s a powerful statement to make after accomplishing such a big feat, and Callie Hogberg is certainly prepared to handle what life throws at her next.