“Members of the class of 2019 share the inspiration behind their decorated mortarboards.” L. Moore, The New York Times

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key

Excerpt: Wearing Their Hearts on Their Graduation Caps By Lela Moore, The New York Times

“Decorating one’s graduation cap has become a way for many students to express themselves on their big day, but often the meaning behind their artwork can be hard to decipher. We asked readers graduating this year to tell us the stories behind their mortarboards.Here’s a selection; their comments have been edited and condensed for clarity.”

Shefa Ahsan, from Lanham, Md., graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia with a B.A. in film and media arts:

“Throughout my years of being a resident assistant, students have told me that they don’t want to live anymore. While I can’t see my cap when I wear it, everyone else can. And I want, need, everyone to know that each and every one of them has a purpose on this earth. That each and every one of them matters.”

Stephanie Fisher, Salem, Ore., graduated from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City with a B.A. in elementary education.

“I had the students in the kindergarten and first-grade class I worked in as a student teacher write their name on a petal that I turned into a giant flower. I wanted to take a small part of them with me to graduation, as I don’t graduate locally. The center daisy is in honor of my aunt Cathy, who died from cancer. Daisies were her favorite flowers.”

Peta-Gaye Dixon, from New York, graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in childhood education.

“I immigrated to the United States from Jamaica five years ago, away from my family there. I had to work two or more jobs to survive, but I stayed in school full time and was on the dean’s list every semester. The quote says, ‘If yuh waan good yuh nose haffi run,’ which means that if you want to succeed, you must work hard.”

Rebecca Olsen, from Atlanta, graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., with a B.A. in English and religious studies.

“My quote, from Morgan Harper Nichols, a Christian poet, is about remembering both mountains and valleys because so many mountains and valleys brought me to graduation. God has used every high and every low to teach me something important, and I wanted to remember that when I graduated.”

Julie Lam from New York, graduated from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., with an M.F.A. in creative writing for fiction.

“There’s so much more to what is underneath these words, coming from an immigrant who grew up in Hong Kong, having witnessed the horror of Cultural Revolution through her family’s eyes in China and the Tiananmen Square massacre as a college student… Walking through the crowd, in the sea of black gowns and hats, I wanted my words in blue to shine through the red and white stripes and show the world my loyalty and love for America…”