A sea of royal blue caps stretched across the field, yet no two looked exactly alike.

The first thing people notice at graduation can be the speeches or even the rows of caps and gowns. But it also includes what sat on the caps themselves, the painted designs and photographs frozen in time. Decorated graduation caps have become a tradition that gives seniors the opportunity to express artistic freedom while marking a period in their high school experience.

While college logos were on the majority of caps throughout the ceremony, not every student used theirs to show where they were headed next. Other students used them to highlight personal interest and identity.

Decorated caps added personal touches to the blue gowns. Each of them represented something important to the student wearing it. “I wanted to capture my last four years in high school and even before in a way that was neat and had some meaning through the people around me and the friendships I made,” senior Eric Chen said.

Senior Farai Fraser’s cap was inspired by a scene from “Attack on Titan,” a fantasy Japanese anime series. The design recreated a scene showing the main character Eren Yeager with his arms stretched outward. “What inspired my design was a manga panel from my favorite anime and show of all time,” Fraser said.

Fraser’s picture is connected to the idea of moving forward without being affected by others’ opinions. He spent around two days painting the cap and adding details. “The theme was just letting go of the perceptions of others and whatever is weighing me down and being free as I step into the future,” Fraser said.

While creating the artwork, Fraser wanted the finished product to match the image he had in mind. He said the biggest challenge was attempting to judge his own work as he painted it. “The challenges were just trying to make it perfect in my own eyes,” he said.

Chen, on the other hand, chose a different design by covering his cap with printed photos. The pictures showed friends and memories from different points in his life, i reflecting the relationships he wanted to remember. “I thought that having pictures was a neat idea,” he said.

Choosing the right photos took more thought for Chen. He wanted the final product to represent what mattered to him. “Finding the pictures and making it in a way that was meaningful and what I wanted to show to others was the hardest part,” he said.

Senior Summer Yao used her cap to highlight her Chinese heritage. Her design included a phoenix, flowers, butterflies, her Chinese name written in calligraphy and a yin-yang symbol. “The main inspiration behind my cap was my Chinese heritage,” she said.

Each symbol was selected for a reason by Yao. The butterflies were inspired by the Chinese legend, Butterfly Lovers. “The butterflies also serve as a tribute to my late grandfather,” she said.

Yao spent three and a half hours decorating the cap. She made flowers from sheet music and painted the calligraphy by hand. “I wanted the design to feel balanced without being overcrowded,” she said.

To fully display elements of her Chinese identity and culture, Yao included elements connected to personal history. “The phoenix is a traditional Chinese symbol of virtue, grace, resilience and femininity. The flowers and pearls were inspired by Zanhua, the traditional practice of wearing flowers in the hair. I included some personal touches on my cap, such as my Chinese name and two butterflies, and I painted the yin-yang symbol in the middle of the cap to represent balance and harmony,” she said.

Yao’s designs came together after she started assembling them. “I drew inspiration from other Chinese graduation caps, but I wanted something unique to myself. I designed the cap to match my yunjian (a traditional Chinese collar) and mamianqun (a traditional Chinese skirt),” she said.

Yao’s classmates and family were all pleased with her design. “Many of my friends and classmates, Chinese and not, loved my cap. My non-Chinese friends were especially curious about the symbols and Chinese characters, and it was nice to share the cultural significance behind them. As for my family, they were deeply touched to see me incorporate my heritage into my graduation attire,” she said.

As the ceremony ended, the decorated caps showed each student’s unique stories. Every design added to a shared moment of graduation.