Graduation is more than just a day—for many students it marks the fulfillment of a dream, the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and perseverance.

For universities, it represents an opportunity to capture just what graduation means to their students. But the hectic nature of graduation day presents a challenge—how to make sure you catch the essential moments in the midst of everything that’s going on?

So we came up with a fresh idea for Indiana Wesleyan University that cut right to the heart of the story: invite families of graduating moms to write them a letter sharing their love and encouragement, and give each mom the opportunity to read her letter moments before she walked across the stage.

We knew this would be a great way to capture the emotion of the day in a controlled environment on a tight timeline. And the result was electric.

We can help you share what graduation means to your students, too. And it’s not too soon to plan the approach—now is the perfect time to begin crafting the message for next year’s ceremonies.

So, what’s the graduation story you want to tell? Let’s get started.