School name
William Paterson University

City name
Totowa

Story behind the cap idea/Bio
There are moments in life when a simple object carries the weight of an entire journey. For me, that object is my graduation cap. Adorned with delicate roses, a jeweled crown, and the scripture from Isaiah 62:3 "You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hands of your God" this cap is not just a decoration. It is the physical embodiment of a vision fulfilled, a testament of survival, sacrifice, and unshakable faith.

This cap holds more than rhinestones and flowers. It holds my story a story of a 49-year-old immigrant woman, a mother, a wife, a veteran, a first-generation college graduate who dared to believe it wasn’t too late. Who refused to believe that life had passed her by. In September 2023, I made a vow to myself: I would finish what I started. And from that day forward, I did not stop. Fall, winter, spring, and summer I poured every ounce of strength I had into my studies, even when exhaustion set in, even when doubts whispered that I couldn’t.

The crown at the top of my cap isn’t there for vanity. It represents identity. It reminds me that even in my lowest moments when I was a single mother on public assistance, when I worked multiple jobs just to make ends meet, when I questioned my worth God saw me as royalty. He never stopped calling me His daughter. He never stopped crowning me with His love, even when I felt stripped of everything else.

The roses are not random. They’re a nod to the beauty that can still bloom from hardship. Each rose symbolizes a season of my life seasons of heartbreak, perseverance, and triumph. Some are deep red, like the times I bled emotionally just trying to hold my family and dreams together. Others are soft cream and pink, symbolizing renewal, grace, and healing. They circle the bottom of my cap, because I stand tall on what I’ve grown through.

This cap means I am no longer hidden. No longer apologizing for my journey. I am seen. I am worthy. I am a woman who stared down adversity and said, “I’m not done yet.”

My daughters will see this cap and know their mother never gave up. My community will see it and know that barriers can be broken. And I will look at it and remember: I am God’s royal diadem chosen, cherished, and celebrated.

So no, this isn’t just a cap. It is my crown. And it’s been earned with every tear I shed, every prayer I whispered, and every step I took in faith.

Isaiah 62:3 Because He said I would be, and I believed Him.