This year marks the first time in more than two years that many universities and high schools around the globe are holding in-person graduation ceremonies.
Despite finding some creative ways to celebrate, many who graduated since the spring of 2020 lament the fact that they weren’t able to participate in traditional graduation ceremonies. I was recently interviewed by Katherine Newman, a journalism student at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), for an article that she wrote on the pros and cons of the virtual graduation ceremonies that became the norm throughout the pandemic. (You can read the full article here.)
Although there were some good things that came out of the shift to virtual ceremonies (loved ones being able to tune in from their homes across the globe, for example), many graduates felt they missed out on something important.
Graduation is a rite of passage marking a distinct ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the life of a graduate. Graduation ceremonies celebrate the fruits of years of hard work and sacrifice. But more than that, they signify that a person has left a previous chapter of their lives to enter a new one. They’ve gained new skills and knowledge, as well as membership to an exclusive community of alumni who have walked the path before them. For many of the students, graduation also marks their transition to adulthood. It’s an exciting time in their lives; they’re about to step out, blaze their own trails and offer their gifts to the world.
What makes graduation a rite of passage?
Rituals are actions which, when imbued with intention, create meaning. Below, I explain what is going on in each phase of a typical graduation ceremony and provide a few examples of common rituals for each one.
Separation
The first phase, separation, is at the beginning of the ceremony and it signifies the end of a student’s academic career. This phase acknowledges what came before and signals that they are on the threshold of unknown territory, about to start a new ‘quest’. Typical graduation rituals from this phase include:
donning of cap and gown
processional
valedictorian speech acknowledging the cohort’s years of hard work, study and fun
Transition
The second phase, transition, is the murky middle where a person has left their past state, but hasn’t fully entered the next one. Full of uncertainty and anticipation, this time can feel simultaneously scary and exciting. Ritual elements during this phase reflect that in-betweenness and often offer support, assurances and guidance to the person who is graduating. Typical graduation rituals from this phase include:
crossing the stage to receive a diploma
speeches by special guests or professors offering wisdom for the road ahead
moving the tassel on the cap after receiving diploma
Incorporation
In the third phase, incorporation, graduates reenter society with their new identity. There are two aspects to incorporation: (1) the effect of the ceremony on the graduate; and (2) the effect of the ceremony on the larger community. Typical graduation rituals from this phase include:
presentation of the graduating class to the gathered community
recessional
party!
Each of these graduation rituals plays an important role in symbolizing a student’s crossing over to the next phase in their life. The enactment of these rituals helps an honouree shed their old identity and take on a new one, and also helps their community to integrate and welcome their graduate’s new status.
What’s missing?
The experience of graduating is different for each person. It is a time for celebration, but as with every milestone, there are myriad emotions at play: uncertainty, pride, loss and fear, to name just a few.
On top of all this, many students have also undergone other significant life changes during the course of their studies. Some may have become parents. Relationships may have started or ended. They may have been touched by illness or grieved the death of a close loved one. During the pandemic, many of those transitions may have happened without the meaningful support of their community.
What I’m getting at is this: a one-size-fits-all graduation ceremony put on by the academic institution could not possibly honour the huge transition that each student has undergone.
Deepening the personal graduation experience
Given the long periods of isolation and disconnection over the past twenty-seven months, it’s now more important than ever that students’ graduations be marked through meaningful gatherings of family and friends. At first, these smaller gatherings might seem secondary compared to the pomp and circ*mstance of formal school-based ceremonies. However, when done well, these more intimate gatherings have the potential to deepen the bonds of community and support the student to transition fully into their new status.
In order to achieve this, those organizing such gatherings need to be thoughtful and intentional in every step of the planning process. This quote from one of my favourite group facilitators, Priya Parker, perfectly illustrates this point:
