Rather than conform to the standard sea of uniform caps and gowns, CHS gives graduates the opportunity to choose the base color of their caps and gowns, as well as personalize them in any way they choose.
Whether they are sporting the logo of the school they are attending in the fall or embellishing their caps with meaningful photos, quotes and symbols, CHS seniors use their graduation attire as a canvas to reflect their individual journeys and personalities.
For CHS graduate Nina Beals, her cap took the form of a collage: one that showcased friends, family and moments that shaped her high school career.
“My cap is a collection of my friends from Community and all of the beautiful memories that I made with them,” Beals said. “I just wanted to be reminded of the people that got me here, and who have been the most important to me during high school.”
Beals wasn’t alone in treating her cap as something more than just ceremonial dress. For some the decoration process acted as a way to reflect back on the past, before continuing to move forwards.
Olivia Kreger struck a balance of the two, centering the University of Miami logo on her cap while surrounding it with scrapbook-style snapshots of her time with friends at CHS.
“I honestly wasn’t really sure what to do with my cap,” Kreger said. “I found the idea off Pinterest and thought it would be cute.”
Many students had a more traditional take, choosing to use their caps to look forward by proudly displaying the emblems and logo of the schools they will call home in the fall.
Paige Plavnick chose a time consuming — and sparkly — method with her cap, as she bedazzled the University of Michigan “Block M” logo. Taking her over 27 hours to complete, Plavnick covered the entire surface in sparkly gems.
“I wanted [my cap] to be somthing that people remembered,” Plavnick said. “I really wanted it to sparkle under the lights of the auditorium.”
While Plavnick’s dedication was a standout, she was far from the only senior to turn her cap into a declaration of what comes next. Across the graduating class, college logos, career symbols and personal mottos peppered the crowd. A mosaic of ambitions crowned seniors’ heads as they walked across the stage, soaking in their final moments as high schoolers.
For Maggie Lamb, this tradition has been years in the making. As a freshman, she watched the senior class cross the stage, their caps decorated with bright colors, logos and momentoes. She made herself a quiet promise.“When I was a freshman I watched the seniors graduate, and they all had their caps decorated so beautifully, and I was like ‘wow, I want to do that,’’ Lamb said.
Four years later she did, proudly displaying her school’s future logo as she took part in the procession she once admired. For the CHS class of 2026, that energy rippled across the entire graduating class.
Each gem, printed photo and hand drawn symbol stood as a reminder that the cap isn’t just a part of the uniform; it’s the most personal piece of it.
