As the COVID19 outbreak continues to grow in the U.S., many universities have cancelled or postponed Spring 2020 graduation ceremonies, including TAMUK. TAMUK is still giving students the opportunity to participate in a later graduation ceremony; however, many may still want to celebrate their hard work. Walking the stage is a rite of passage for many college graduates; it’s the moment where graduates get their time in the spotlight and are recognized for their diligence. While for many 2020 graduates it may feel like this moment is being taken away, here are some ways to take this moment back and celebrate the achievement of getting a degree while social distancing.
1. One simple way to host a mini-graduation ceremony is through Zoom. All you would need to do is schedule a meeting time and date through Zoom and then send the link to all your loved ones. On the day of your ceremony get dressed up, put on your graduation regalia and stage a graduation for yourself, pomp and circumstance and all. It may not be the same as walking the stage with all your family, friends and peers watching but it’s still a small way to celebrate your special moment.
2. Just because graduation ceremonies are cancelled doesn’t mean all other graduation traditions should be, too. So, one way to celebrate your achievement is to have a photoshoot and take your graduation pictures. This will give you a moment to celebrate yourself and will be a good time to capture how your hard work paid off. Grab you Javelina Nation memorabilia, those you are social distancing with, your graduation gear and a camera and go make some more memories.
3. This last way was inspired by a Tik Tok that also inspired me to make this this list. If you can find a way to track when the university sends your diploma, you could potentially time your graduation walk with the moment your mail man delivers the diploma. You can get dressed in your university graduation regalia, play pomp and circumstances and take the walk to the mailbox. You could even combine this ceremony with the first option on this list and have your loved ones cheer you on. In fact, if I can figure out how to pull this off, I just might celebrate my graduation this semester this way.
Many of us have looked forward to our moment of walking the stage in the SPEC since we first walked on campus. But while we won’t be able to do this this May, we can still make the best of the situation and celebrate ourselves and all of our achievements in our own way.