It was the summer of 1988 and Unnati Patel had just walked off the stage after her first convocation at the University of Toronto.

With an electrical engineering degree in hand, she and her family decided to snap a timeless photo.

So when Patel found herself graduating with another degree from the same school three decades later, it was only right that they recreate the photo.

"I remember talking to the whole family last year as this HBA degree was coming to an end and I said, 'Next year we're all going to get together, wear the same clothes and snap it again,'" Patel said.

"It was a way to celebrate this milestone."

Thirty-one years after her first degree, Patel was graduating with a second degree — this time a degree in philosophy.

Patel's nephew recreated his outfit from 31 years ago by wearing red suspenders and a tie. Her mother wore the exact same sari she wore in the original photo. (Unnati Patel)

But this time there was one person who was noticeably absent from the photo.

Patel's father passed away the March before she graduated, but her sister took his place with a portrait of him in her hands.

"I was very surprised she brought the photo and she stood in for him," Patel said. "That was wonderful because they knew he would have been there with bells on for the second photo as well."

That picture represents the village that supported me. - Unnati Patel

Along with her sister, Patel was joined by her mother and nephew, who was four years old back then. He's 35 now but he still wore the same look from 31 years ago.

"He duplicated the outfit to a tee. He went on Amazon, bought red suspenders and it was just a fun thing to do," she said.

Patel said her mom wore the exact same sari she had on in 1988.

Patel graduated with her first degree in electrical engineering in 1988. Her father, mother and nephew snapped a timeless photo that Patel says she still cherishes to this day. (Unnati Patel)

"It's a lovely pink one with embroidered flowers on it," she said.

"With Dad's passing, she hasn't been very colourful lately and so this was the first time she wore something that lovely and colourful, and she was beaming. It was wonderful to see her there."

For Patel, the photo represents something much bigger than herself and her accomplishments.

"That picture represents the village that supported me," she said.

"Even though, on graduation day, only one name gets called, it's a village... It's the village of my family. It's the village of my friends. It's the village of all the people at U of T."

Patel is now in her 50s but she has no intention of slowing down yet.

She is currently enrolled in grad school and she says the family is ready to duplicate the photo again next year.

"This is not over," she said. "This is only beginning as far as I'm concerned."

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