Class of 2020: A Special Celebration

My senior portrait photography career is now defunct but I had to do one last very special photoshoot. My sister Shirley is graduating this month after 4 long years at Berkeley, and I’d been waiting to take these photos on their beautiful campus and watch her graduate at the Memorial Stadium.

Little did we know 2020 would have other plans.

Since March we’ve been sheltering in place in LA as she finished up her last semester holed up in her room. As finals week approached and lackluster virtual graduation ceremonies were announced, I realized how different her senior year was going to be from mine. I had banquets, multiple graduation ceremonies, parties with friends, photoshoots, and family who flew in from China to see me walk. All she had was a Zoom graduation at home for this once-in-a-lifetime milestone.

So on a Thursday morning at 2 a.m., I planned a surprise party. Even though we were stuck at home, I wanted to make this special occasion extra special. My mom felt the same way and decided to do all we can to throw her a graduation ceremony. The next two days were a flurry of secret online shopping, decoration gathering, poster printing, and lei making with whatever cash I could dig out of old red envelopes.

On the Saturday morning of what would have been her graduation day, I sent Shirley out to pick up some lunch and flowers under the guise we were going to take cap and gown pictures in the afternoon. I ran around the house decorating and setting up music, food, balloons, the works.

First champagne pop and a star-studded celebration lunch.

Pulling off a surprise is no easy feat but being able to do it with family during a time like this was ten times more satisfying. The party was small and intimate but just as fun, and we took pictures and Facetimed family and friends while streaming her online Minecraft “Blockley” graduation ceremony.

A shoutout to Target, Fedex, and Dollar Tree for making my decoration dreams possible. Curbside pickup is 💯 and Fedex Print & Go is perfect for fake graduation signs and silly faces on a stick.