Transcript: 

A few years ago, I was stepping out of high school, excited about what was next. I had no idea where this journey would take me, but I knew one thing for sure—I was ready for adventure and ready to make every moment count. I have had countless graduations throughout the years (kindergarten, elementary school and highschool)but the next one is special! I will be the first woman in my family to attend and graduate from post secondary! This year I will graduate from university, my cousin from highschool, my brother from elementary school and my other cousin from kindergarten!

University came with its own set of challenges and surprises. I dove into this experience with excitement, meeting new people, and learning tons. I attended events, volunteered and participated  in clubs. I got to take many classes I was interested in and learned a lot!

And now I only have one semester left before my convocation! 

The hat itself is a nod to my journey. The base of the hat is made from my actual grad cap from highschool. In honor of my university’s awesome Dino mascot rex, I created this little guy inside my grad cap which I learned to solder in the maker space. Placing the tassel activates the rick roll is as a nod to an assignment I had that said we should be able to rick roll each other using our musical device. The foam beads represent the joy I am feeling about graduation and the wonderful time I have had at the university of calgary. And lastly the led lights and sound sensor are because graduation is a time to be loud and celebrate and makes the cap a perfect accessory to wear to a celebration! 

The cap is a reminder of all the moments that made this journey so special—and a little bit of fun, of course! It's a symbol of the work I've put in, the creativity I’ve embraced, and the exciting next steps.

Every time the fan goes on, the beads jump for joy. It is a perfect decoration for when you are not wearing the hat and a wonderful reminder of a joyous day. 

University life has been full of challenges and triumphs. I havelearned, grown, and made memories I’ll cherish forever. And now, just four months away from graduation, I can’t help but smile thinking about how far I’ve come and this interactive grad cap is a perfect way to visualize that joy.