Graduating from high school, trade school, college or graduate school is undoubtedly one of life’s biggest milestones.
This year though, this momentous achievement might not look exactly how you pictured it during the pre-COVID era. Rather than walking across the stage in a cap and gown and celebrating with pictures and toasts with friends and family, graduation has gone virtual in light of social distancing. This year, graduates are cheering from the safety of their own home when their name is read aloud on Zoom, watching commencement speakers on Instagram Live or YouTube, ordering in drinks via apps like Drizly and hosting virtual graduation brunches and dinners with family via FaceTime, Skype or Google Hangout. Technology is ensuring that we keep the tradition of graduation alive and well this year, regardless of how it looks.
New technology is also helping us continue to recognize and celebrate new graduates’ years of hard work, studying, tests and essays, with creative ways to connect, gift and honor our loved ones’ efforts in the classroom. Whether we are in the same place or not, we’ve been letting graduates in our family and friend circles know how proud we are of them with personalized videos and cash gifts on GiftCast. Recipients can keep these video messages saved on their phone or in the app to look back on for years to come. Plus, we want to give graduates the option to spend their money where they prefer as they move into this next chapter.
Graduations may look different this year, but we’re thankful for technology that lets us virtually celebrate despite the circumstances.
Congrats 2020 graduates! You did it!