Graduation caps with a message

The traditional black mortar board cap worn at graduation is no longer plain. Grads are decorating their hats with messages. Some students mark how much money their diploma has put them into debt. But others tell the story of adversity overcome.

A grad named Graciela wrote her name on the top of her cap. She explained, "This Saturday I will graduate with my B.A. I will also be the first Latina in my school's history to ever give the commencement speech! The road to graduation was not easy. When I was 16, I had to run away from an abusive adoptive family. I was homeless as I travelled the country in search of a new beginning. Eventually I found myself in Wisconsin where a teacher took me in and allowed me to start fresh. My diploma and speech are dedicated to all the women and children like me who were told they could not accomplish anything in life. They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds!"