The Joy of Graduation
Graduation is a very exciting time for students. All the joy, heartache, late nights, deadlines, hours of studying, and building life long frienships over the last four years is finally coming to a close. I wanted to showcase this joy through a series of portraits of students who are graduating in two weeks. These photos are staged (since they are portraits) however some are candid and capture real emotion and excitement for what is to come. I know these girls personally, as they are all in my sorority, however I'm not close friends with them, and I would argue that since I do know each of them a little bit, I had an advantage when photographing them to be able to capture more real emotions and joy because they were comfortable with me. School, although it does not always feel like it, is a labor of love. We may not always like it or appreciate it as much as we should, but the satisfaction of completing a degree and finally getting to say "I did it" is what makes it all worth it in the end.
By Ana Giles
Elle, Rylee, Angela, and Emily laughing together in front of the infamous clock tower.
Rylee in front of the blue instilation above the library.
Elle, Rylee, Angela, and Emily celebrating by popping champaign on the football field.
Elle and Angela laughing together in front of the clock tower.
Angela in front of the blue instilation above the library.
Elle sitting on the football field.
Elle, Rylee, Angela and Emily doing their soroity sign on the football field.
Sara smiling on Thompson Flats.
Elle, Rylee, Angela, and Emily tossing their caps in front of their sorority in a final "I did it" moment.
Elle, Rylee, Angela, and Emily on the football field laughing with eachother.