DIY Grad Cap + Thoughts about Graduating

When I started college I knew that when I graduated I wanted to decorate my graduation cap. We weren’t allowed to decorate them for my high school graduation and I had always wanted to do something fun with it so I was excited it was an option for college. Fast forward three and a half years and when graduation became an online affair I decided I was going to decorate a cap early to take photos around campus before I went home. My cap had to be something fun and that went with the unknowns that come with 2020.

After scrolling through pinterest and seeing what others had done I decided to try and make something that I hadn’t seen anyone do before.

I had always loved Finding Nemo and the scene during the credits when the Tank Gang escapes into the harbor and they all look around confused until Bloat says “Now What?,” it seemed perfect. It is what I have been saying to myself this whole year because of how uncertain everything has been. It is especially the phrase I’ve been muttering to myself at the thought of graduating with a theatre degree at a time when theatre is not exactly a thing.

So I headed to the dollar tree to pick up construction paper and try to DIY that scene. Since I didn’t have the graduation cap with me I cut a thick cardboard piece into the dimension of the cap and pasted everything onto it.

Creating each of the characters was the hardest and most fun part. I wanted to make them look really good so people would be able to tell what I had put together. I think Peach may be my favorite. I also wanted to put them into the baggies that they were in and originally thought I would use small ziplock bags. Instead I used the plastic from the utensils that my school kept giving me with every meal. I had so many just laying about my room and the depth was perfect to fit each of the fish.

To make the button on the top of the cap I actually molded the aluminum wrapping from the gold chocolate coins and taped blue construction paper over it. It held together surprising well even once I put the tassel around it and threw my cap around when I was taking photos. I am really happy about the way it turned out.
What do you think??

It has been a crazy 3 years of college and an especially crazy year. I can’t believe that even in the middle of this I was able to graduate a semester early. Working last semester from home and in a different time zone was difficult especially having to get up one day at 5am for class and I am incredibly thankful that I was able to spend my final semester on campus. Hybrid classes took a lot of getting used to but it was really nice getting to go to in person classes part of the week, despite the changes.

I also can’t believe that I am here 3 and a half years later writing a graduation post. College has seemed to FLY by. Faster even than high school which seemed to go by in a blink. I enjoyed my time in college a lot better than high school. I learned a lot about life and adulthood by throwing myself into it by moving across the country and having to fend for myself in a completely new environment with knowing absolutely zero people.

It was a way less scary than I thought it would be and part of me wishes it wasn’t over. Though I am totally ready to stop taking tests on subjects I don’t care about.

So here I am December 12, 2020, age 21, graduating with a BA in Theatre Acting and Directing, all on zoom. If someone would have told 18 year old me everything that happened these past years I don’t think I would have believed you.

Thanks to everyone who has been a part of this season of my life. Here is to the next adventure!

College Highlights!

My first week of school having my Acting teacher be someone I saw in a show a month before across the country. How crazy is that! What a small world.

Being a Production Stage Manager to an opera running at the Maltz Art Center in Cleveland as a first semester freshman.

Spending three years rooming with the same awesome roommate, and even hanging out in Ireland while she studied abroad. (The best thing my school did was randomly match me with the perfect roommate ever. I know so many are not as lucky as me.)

Learning how to do fun stage makeup, like turning myself into a tree.

Also, learning how to design sets in 3D on Vectorworks.

Starting a Mythology Club with my friends because I complained I waited my whole life to take a mythology class in college only for my college not to offer one.

Directing a Ten Minute play

Being lucky enough to go to the SLS Catholic conference with my Newman Center for a week over New Years.