The Greatest Honor: When Students Invite You to Their Graduation

LinkedIn Article: June 12, 2025

The Greatest Gift

As educators, we rarely do this work for the recognition. But every so often, something extraordinary happens that reminds you just how deeply your efforts matter.

This spring, I began receiving heartfelt invitations to high school graduations from my former students. These weren’t just formal announcements—they were deeply personal notes, filled with gratitude, memories, and the kind of reflection that reaches straight to the heart.

To be invited to a student’s graduation is one of the greatest honors I’ve received in my career. It means that I wasn’t just a teacher—I was part of their journey. A steady presence, a voice of encouragement, someone they remembered as they approached this milestone.

As a PLTW (Project Lead The Way) teacher in Digital Electronics, Engineering Design and Development (EDD), and my own course, Architectural Engineering and Design, I’ve worked with students on everything from circuit logic to senior capstone projects to residential architecture to architectural competitions. But beyond the technical skills, I’ve had the privilege to mentor, to guide, and to witness students find their voices, challenge themselves, and discover their passions.

When those students write to say, “You helped me get here,” there is no greater reward.

To all the students who reached out—thank you. Your invitations mean the world to me. They are more than a date and a time; they are evidence of a relationship built through trust, effort, and mutual respect.

To fellow teachers: when the days are long, and the wins feel few, remember—what you’re doing matters. Not just now, but for years to come. Sometimes, it comes back in the form of a hug. Sometimes, a message. And sometimes, in the incredible honor of being invited to witness a student cross their finish line.

That is the magic of teaching. That is why we do what we do.