As students flow onto the graduation stage on June 6th, the ceremony will begin, but while they are passing by, the crowd of family and friends notice the faint clinking and clacking sound of medals bouncing off each other. Cords will brush against the silk fabric of the gowns and stoles sway around the necks of the class. The faint noise is louder than one would think, not in a decibel way, but in the sense that the students can hear their achievements as they walk.
For some, graduating isn’t just about getting a diploma; it means displaying everything they have achieved along the way. By the time this school year ends, many seniors will be walking across the stage with a collection of cords, stoles and medals to represent their involvement in school. Each achievement around their neck represents a different story, whether that’s the time spent after school or the leadership that took place. What might look like a simple ribbon placed around their neck is actually a visible commemoration of dedication and commitment to the school.
Senior Adeline Law, who is in the top 10 percent of her class, is well known for the vast amount of work she has put in to be involved in the school. She plans to attend Princeton University in New Jersey to study policy and international affairs with a minor in entrepreneurship and cognitive science; she also hopes to attain a certificate in teaching. She is passionate about being involved in her school and knows it is important to leave her mark.
“It’s important to be involved in school, because being involved allows you to make friends and get to know awesome people, and [it] also allow[s] you to meet super cool staff and teachers throughout the building,” Law said. “It gives you connections and also a purpose. Instead of staying at home on your phone, you get to do things that give you joy with the people you love to be around. You’ll never be bored, you’ll always have someone to hang out with and something to do. Plus, the school community has given so much, and so have the teachers. So, by being involved, it’s almost like a thank you to them.”
She is involved in over 15 different clubs, so she will have a plethora of cords. She will also receive stoles for being involved in several honor societies and for earning summa cum laude.
“It took four years of relentless effort and hard work to maintain all A’s and get my 4.77 GPA, so being summa cum laude for graduation means a lot to me. It took many library sessions, late nights, and cramming to get to where I am today, but if I had the choice, I would definitely do it all over again,” Law said.
At graduation, she will have around 35 medals, 10 cords and two stoles. Of the medals she will be presented, 12 are from school-based awards, like silver shield or being in the top ten of her class. She also earned her Missouri Seal of Biliteracy for Spanish and has a 4.0 GPA. Law will earn one for being an AP Scholar with Distinction, and for being in some clubs for all four years of her high school career. But along with those, she has some harder-to-achieve awards, like earning an ACT score of over 26 and a senior night award from the marching band. Besides her academic medals, she also has some from going to state for clubs, like FBLA, Solo Small Ensemble for band, and Speech and Debate. On top of all of this, she will have two stoles, one from NHS and the other from FBLA, as well as her 10 cords.
Senior Anshdeep Thind also participates in many activities outside of school. She will have many cords and medals for partaking in clubs such as Arete, National Spanish Honor Society, HOSA, NAHS, Epsilon Beta, Diversity Club, and Teens for Change, along with being on the senior class committee. Thind is also at the top of her class, but, unlike Law, she is undecided about her future educational path. Therefore, she chose to participate in these clubs to gain experience regardless of the skill for the corresponding major.
“Every club has different people, so I didn’t do it just for the cord but to be able to explore a lot of things that we have at FHC. [I chose to join] because being a part of the community and meeting new people and opinions, it really helps me view the world from a different perspective,” Thind said. “I’m in FBLA, and I don’t want to do business, but it helps you with other skills, like job interviews. I’ve gathered skills like this from all these clubs and the experiences from every club I’m in.”
Thind, among other things, is a very ambitious person who took on the challenges during high school in order to not just collect trophies, but also leave her mark at FHC. While doing so, she and Law were able to collect the achievements that came with it. At graduation, the students who took the extra step and put effort and time into all of their activities will get to display their achievements.
Even when the ceremony is over, the cords, stoles, and medals will continue to represent the years of effort these students have given to their academics. For students like Law and Thind, they symbolize much more than a shiny piece of medal or a twirly cord around their neck; they are lasting memories and reminders that they have overcome challenges and pushed themselves to the max during high school.
