How Graduation Works
Check out this video to learn more about the steps of high school graduation from announcing your achievement to celebrating with family and friends.
Congratulations graduate!
It wasn’t long ago that this school felt new and intimidating. But look at you now, ready to graduate and celebrate your achievements.
There are a lot of people who have helped you out along the way: grandparents, neighbors, aunts, coaches, former teachers. Your success matters to them. So how do you formally announce to these people that your world is changing?
Step 1: Make Your Lists
First, before things get hectic at the end of the school year, make a list of people who should know that you are graduating and a list of people that you want to invite to your graduation party.
Step 2: Choose your graduation products including announcements, party invites, and thank you notes.
Step 3: Place your order with your Herff Jones rep on order day at your school.
Step 4: Put it all together
Put together your graduation announcements. Traditionally, these include a name card and tissue insert. Add party invites to those who are lucky enough to make the list. All of this is put into two envelopes, sealed, and thoughtfully delivered.
The next thing you know, all of these people are in the know and will be a part of the celebration, one way or another. And hey, don’t be surprised if those people send you a gift!
Last but not least. send out thank you notes personally thanking everyone for gifts and all their support.
This is your year. So share the news, graduate, and celebrate your achievement!
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How A Class Ring Is Made (VIDEO)
Go behind the scenes of the Herff Jones class ring facility in Warwick, Rhode Island to see how your custom class ring comes to life. From inside the gold vault where you’ll see nearly half a million dollars of white gold to the final inspection of a personalized class ring and all the steps in between.
Today I want to take you behind the scenes in our Rhode Island facility to show you just how much artwork customization goes into each and every Herff Jones class ring.
So now I’m in the vault where all the gold is stored. This right here is about four hundred thousand dollars worth of white gold and it is very heavy.
So here in the art department, our artists create and design your custom mascot before they send it on to the next office to have a 3-D model created for molding of your actual ring.
So here in the tooling department, Nate creates a 3-D computer model of your class ring before it’s sent off to have an actual molding.
So now I’m here with, Elizabeth. She actually personalizes the ring by cutting your name across the top of the pride side.
Then your melted metal is poured into a cast to form your class ring.
Now your class ring goes to Don in the polishing department where he’s going to polish it up and give it a nice shine.
Now we continue to customize your ring by setting your stone and engraving your name or your initials on the inside of the ring.
So after all that work, the last thing that happens before you receive your class ring is that the must pass the third and final quality inspection.
Steps for crafting your custom class ring in the above video are…
1. Designing your ring
2. Creating the mold
3. Customizing your class ring
4. Filling the mold
5. Polishing
6. Setting the stone
7. Personalized engraving
8. Final inspection of your class ring
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The Top 5 Reasons to Attend Your Homecoming As An Alumni
Homecoming is a special tradition on College Campuses across the country. The origins of homecoming date back to the early 1900’s. It is debated on which school began the tradition but there are records of an Alumni Football game that was played on Northern Illinois University’s campus as far back as 1903! The first time the words “come home” were used to entice alumni back to their alma mater were by the Mizzou athletic director for a 1911 game against rivals, the Kansas Jayhawks.
Whichever school you believe to have started the tradition is up to you. Impressively, homecoming for both high schools and colleges across the county has stood the test of time. It continues to be a fun way for current students to celebrate and alumni to “come home”. Here are the Top 5 Reasons we think you should head back to campus for that special Homecoming tradition:
1. Friends
The digital world makes it easier to stay connected with friends once you graduate, but for many, you end up all over the country (sometimes the world) after graduation. You may only see your closest friends every few years at best. Given the opportunity to come together, back to where you met, and catch up is priceless. Use homecoming as an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones!
2. Tailgating
This may not even need a description and reason as to why it makes the list. Tailgating is always fun, especially when you get to be back on campus with family and friends. The food, the games, the memories (both old and new to be made)….need we say more?
3. Football
Okay we know, not every school has a great football program or a football program at all. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun either going to the game, watching the game from your favorite old watering hole, or throwing the football around at the aforementioned tailgate. Whatever you decide to do, have some fun with America’s favorite sport.
4. Campus
Your home away from home! The best four (or five…or six…or…) years of your life. And what better time of the year to see your lovely campus than in autumn. Hit up your favorite restaurants, the student union and all your old stomping grounds.
5. Alumni Status
Yes, that’s right. You’re an alumni now. You’re a big deal. Why not celebrate that status while back on campus? Connect with other past alumni and take advantage of the time to network. And buying that first Alumni school coffee mug feels pretty awesome too.
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Introducing GradLegacy: Custom College Caps and Gowns
Graduate in School Branded Caps & Gowns
Every year, millions of college students will proudly walk across a stage, recognizing a pinnacle event in their lifetime – their graduation from college. Colleges and Institutions alike should be recognizing these graduates’ proud moments with a cap and gown that personalizes the graduation experience. We are proud to offer the most customizable graduation products that leverage and celebrate the college brand while continuing to honor the institution’s traditions.
GradLegacy: Honoring Tradition. Celebrating Your School.
GradLegacy is our premier collection of college custom cap and gown products. This unique line of caps, gowns and accessories leverages your school’s brand and brings it to life on one of the most important days.
From branded accessories to exclusive caps and gowns in your school colors and embroiders, all the way to fabric specially printed for your school. Turn long-standing traditions into long-lasting memories by creating a graduation with one of our GradLegacy product offerings: custom prints, custom gowns and custom accessories.
- Custom Prints: one-of-a-kind fabric printed in your schools colors and designs. It leverages your school’s legacy to create a new brand of tradition, while celebrating a graduate’s pinnacle of achievement.
- Custom Gowns: allows a school to honor its heritage by personalizing gowns with a school’s crest and colors.
- Custom Accessories: a simple way to signify your school’s brand by adding a signet or accessory.
Whatever your needs are, we are the only partner that offers caps & gowns customized to honor a school’s brand while keeping with their school’s traditions.
Reach Out To Your Herff Jones Rep to Learn More
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Career of the Month: STEM Field
STEM Defined
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. Degrees in these fields are in high demand currently because the world greatly depends on technology and scientific growth. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates there will be roughly 1.2 million job openings in STEM-related fields by the year 2018 and not enough graduates to fill them. Only 16 percent of all completed degrees are expected to be in STEM-related fields by 2020. Find out more here.
Career Options
The STEM field is vast and there are hundreds of degrees that lead to various occupations. From Animal Science, to Mechanical Engineering to Solar Energy Technology, there is a degree and a job that will likely interest you. Check out a list of degrees here and article on ten unique jobs that you could try to achieve with a STEM degree.
Find Your Career Match
Are you still not sure what the best degree and career path is for you in STEM? Take this personality quiz offered by Florida Polytechnic University to find out what your best match is.
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Career of the Month: UI & UX Design
We will begin featuring a different career each month to support our college students and young alumni. We hope this information is helpful to you when it comes to choosing a major, further discovering what you can do with your major, or figuring out what your next career move will be.
UI & UX Design Defined
As the tech industry continues to grow, so does the need for talented designers to create interfaces that will allow for a great user experience. This could include anything from designing an app, to a website, to a digital game and more. These two job titles can get combined together and sometimes confused for the same thing. But they are different and there is a need for both.
UX Designer (User Experience Designer)
- how the product works and feels for the end user
UI Designer (User Interface Designer)
- how the product is laid out and how the user will visually interact
Check out the full designers guide to the tech industry
The Job Market and Breaking Through
We found pretty amazing facts on the high demand for UX designers such as job growth is currently up 30%. Check out this blog post on BLOC for the full story.
Get Inspired
The best part of being a UI or UX Designer? Getting in touch with your creativity! Color Inspiration for 2016
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The Importance of Networking – A Helpful Blog for the College Grad
As a College student or a recent graduate, you have begun to understand the importance of networking.
Whether it’s to help attain that first job out of school or move on to a new one, networking can play a huge role in helping you achieve your goals. Education and experience are important pieces of overall career growth, but one of the most vital factors in developing your career path and achieving growth are your relationships built along the way.
The connections you build with those you work for, work with and meet along the way can be extremely beneficial to you. At times, events and social gatherings may seem taxing at the end of a long day of classes or work, but the value is there. If you are given the opportunity to attend or are invited to an event, you should take advantage.
We found a great blog post by Madeline Bell, president and CEO of The Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia who finds networking valuable no matter where you are in your career.
Happy Networking!
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We Are Leading The Future of Graduation
Caps & Gowns Are Tied To High School Spirit
A majority of high school principals said: Students with a lot of school spirit do more than show support for their school, they perform better academically.
- 75% of students with higher levels of school spirit perform above average
- 92% of high school principals feel that school spirit is tied to student achievement
- 90% of students with high levels of school spirit are more active in school activities
- 83% of principals said their school drives school spirit by promoting the cap and gown at graduation. We at Herff Jones know that spirit matters. We are proud to offer the most customizable products to help enhance the celebration of school spirit at your graduation – starting with the most iconic symbol of achievement – the cap and gown.
GradSpirit: Expressing School Spirit at High School Graduation
Introducing GradSpirit, our premier offering of customized caps & gowns celebrating both school spirit and student achievement at your school!
From accessories branded to your school, to accents with your colors and custom embroideries, all the way to custom printed fabric, our custom offering of caps & gowns creates the ultimate graduation experience for your unforgettable milestone! In the GradSpirit portfolio, we offer three different ways to express your school spirit and recognize student achievement: SpiritSplash™, SpiritGown™ and SpiritPop™.
- SpiritSplash is one-of-a-kind and is the future of graduation. Showcasing custom fabric prints, these customized Caps and Gowns are the ultimate expression of school spirit and celebrate both school spirit and student achievement. Lead the future of graduation with SpiritSplash caps, gowns and accessories!
- SpiritGown allows a school to showcase their colors and the ability to customize gowns with a school logo or school crest.
- SpiritPop is a simple way to express that your school is different by adding a custom accessory like a hood or stole.
Whatever your needs are, we are the only partner that offers caps & gowns customized to express your unique school spirit. Reach out to your Herff Jones Rep to learn more!
To better understand connections between school spirit and student achievement, view the Varsity Brands white paper.
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Mentors Matter
There is nothing more impactful on your career and personal development than having great mentors — people who have experience in your field and are willing to guide you, provide you with real feedback, and help you grow. Here’s how to find one and make the most out of this person in your life.
Use the system, or search your own.
At some schools, administrators take the lead on making sure students find mentors, and others have a software tool that pairs students with alumni mentors. If your school doesn’t have a formal system for helping students find a mentor, you still have plenty of tools. Get on LinkedIn, talk to the careers services office, and ask your professors for guidance in connecting with a career mentor.
Let the relationship evolve naturally.
Get involved in things you care about and you’ll meet people who care about them too. As relationships develop you will learn a lot about what they know and how to apply it to your life. You might not ever say ‘You are my mentor,’ but those people can be just as important as anyone who signs on officially.
Set some ground rules.
Be crystal clear about expectations. You don’t want to over or under utilize this person. Agree on how often you’ll talk and the preferred communication combo…is it email and phone, or can you meet in person regularly?
It’s your responsibility, not theirs.
You should expect to do the bulk of the work of establishing meeting times and working around your mentor’s schedule. And think about giving not just getting. Even if it’s sending an interesting and relevant article, you’re showing that you want the relationship to be a two-way street.
Set appropriate expectations.
You’re doing this to get some career and life guidance, not miracles. Don’t expect a job, or and internship. It may happen, but not until you’ve earned it. Don’t expect a mentor to advocate for you until you’ve demonstrated you are worthy of that advocacy.
Five questions to ask when you meet a potential career mentor:
- What are the primary skill sets I should build to have a successful career?
- How can those skills be developed?
- What can I read that will round out my knowledge?
- Is there anything I can do to help or support you?
- What would you do differently if given the opportunity?
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Do Something: An Organization Making Changes
Have you ever wanted to volunteer for a cause you’re passionate about but had trouble finding the right one to get behind? DoSomething.org gives young people the voice and ability to make big changes. With 4.3 million members and counting, this organization is on a path to make a huge difference in the 130 countries it serves. There are currently 240 different volunteer campaigns to join so there is something of value and interest for everyone.
With a statement of “Any cause, anytime, anywhere” and purpose of improving the world we live in, it’s no wonder Herff Jones and so many others believe in and support this organization of passionate hard workers. Want to get involved? Visit their site here or get social.
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