The audience quieted after yet another round of applause. It was time for our fearless leader to take the stage, Manheim Central’s superintendent Dr. Aiken. He wasted no time…he never does.

Dr. Aiken spoke of the dire need for connection in our community. A real need to not only understand but to really connect with others. He pointed out that it may be easy to connect with those we agree with but to connect with those that you don’t….there lies the current challenge and the true need in our community.

As we send our students off to their next great adventure in life, it brought a level of gravity to the day. Yes, there are a number of bells and whistles at graduation. Robes and dinners. Tassels and roses. Parties and pictures. But this speech gave me goosebumps. It drove home the responsibility these young men and women have ahead of them to dive headfirst into a world divided.

This is the story of graduation this year for all schools and all communities.

As many of you know, I am well-known in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas for my wedding photography. It’s really fun and exiting to shoot luxury weddings but really, I’m not just in it for the pretty pictures and fancy wedding days. What really peaks my interest is telling the visual story of a couple or an event. I too believe in the importance of the skill of connecting with others. If you go to my website homepage, one of the first bits of text you will read is all about connection. That’s really what I do. I capture connection. This night was no different. I approach any job with the same objective: Show the connection. Tell the story.

So, when Dr. Aiken spoke of connection, it resonated deeply with me and gave me renewed energy to capture just that, no matter how many times I had to walk back and forth across the vast expanse of Spooky Nook’s Olympic Hall housing almost 2,000 in attendance.

To hear Dr. Aiken speak in person is a real treat for me. I look forward to every newsletter from from him in my inbox (I’m lucky enough to have kids in the district). He writes and speaks to connect. He also writes and speaks with poise and deep thought. I am a big fan of his newsletter. I’ve never admitted this before but his newsletter written to the “Baron Nation” inspires some of my own writing to my #meganhofferfamily.

You know, being completely transparent, I wasn’t going to blog graduation. I typically only blog weddings and engagement sessions in addition to informational articles on photography and for my clients. But as I was putting together and loading the gallery I decided to section off the 600+ images into categories so people could find the photos they were looking for more easily. I liked that so then, I decide to add a highlights gallery to the opening of the gallery. When I started rearranging the photos for the highlights gallery, the story of graduation truly unfolded for me and Dr. Aiken’s wise words echoed in my head. And, when I have a story in my head, I have to get it out.

This ending and start of a new beginning for these kids and their families is such an honor to capture and tell for our community. To be honest, I have readers from all over the country and a few international readers as well. So, even though this may not be your high school or your immediate community, it shows a time in life many of us can relate to. These moments when we come to the end of something big but stand at the cusp of something much bigger.

Whether it’s the end of high school, a job, single life, life before kids, or the end of COVID, it can be quite terrifying to stare into the unknown and bravely walk forward…but we can do it. It certainly would be easier to do it together. Let’s all consider Dr. Aiken’s wise words and not only try to understand different points of view and beliefs but let us start truly connecting with each other of all backgrounds, beliefs, colors, and personalities. It’s hard work but worth every moment. It’s the journey we’ll remember most, not the destination.

And as I always say, don’t just wait for a great day….make it great. That goes for life too. Go make it great! Good luck class of 2021!

For all those reading, I hope you all enjoy this sample of photos from graduation on Friday.

If you are a family member looking for your photos, you should all be getting the full gallery of images from the school as soon as it is approved and forwarded on to you.

Update: The full gallery has been released and can be viewed HERE. In the gallery, you are able to download the photos of your students. Enjoy!

XO - Megan