Tulane grads’ magnificent mortarboards

Tulane graduates are ready for Commencement — here, a few grads show off some mad decorating skills.

1 Logan Alexis Weber Spears will earn a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health before going on to nursing school.

2 Charlotte Jones completed her Master of Liberal Arts in December 2020. Her research focuses on working animals such as mules. She will pursue a PhD at LSU in the fall and notes that the animals pictured are critters-in-residence at the 1811 Kid Ory Historic House in LaPlace.

3 Haley Cox graduated in December 2020 as a double major in neuroscience and psychology. Cox’s design, complete with brain, was made from 3,000 stones — all placed individually, by hand.

4 Kristin Keith-Craft is a candidate for a Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law. “My decorations symbolize my pursuit of not only success but finding myself as an independent woman, a student, a professional, a mother and a mentor. These things set my soul on fire. And as I accomplished each step on my path, a flower blossomed to signify my efforts, strife, failures and accomplishments.”

5 Neuroscience major Hannah Adams honored her parents with this mortarboard. “I am a first-generation college student … I wanted to commemorate the unbelievable sacrifices my parents have made to help me accomplish my dreams.” Adams will attend medical school after graduation.

6 Yuan Feng, a Master of Public Health candidate and an epidemiology major, said graduation is a new start for her: “I hope my future will blossom like these beautiful flowers.”

7 Bachelor of Arts candidate Caroline Bray has a passion for environmental studies and political science — and football! She writes, “I am a huge Saints fan and so my mortarboard is a tribute to my favorite player, Alvin Kamara.”

8 Jae eun “Janie” Park was inspired by the movie “Up,” whose main character ties his house to thousands of balloons to fulfill his lifelong dream of traveling to Paradise Falls. “After five years at Tulane, I, too, will be setting off to fulfill my aspirations of becoming a clinical psychologist at the University of Notre Dame — my ‘home’ for the next 5 years!” writes Park, who will earn a master’s degree in behavioral health.