With each step Crandall Blake takes toward her University of Nebraska-Lincoln diploma on Saturday, she will be reminded of the students who helped her get there and the ones who made her final semester of college extra special.
In fact, the 24 kindergartners she spent the last semester teaching at Lakeview Elementary will be right there with her as she crosses the stage at Pinnacle Bank Arena — in a sense.
They won’t be there physically, but in spirit — and on her shoes.
Written on the white Converse sneakers she plans to wear to graduation underneath the classic red and black cap and gown, are the names of each of the students she student-taught this semester, written in their own scrawls.
“When I am going across the stage on Saturday and finishing that era in my life, I know that they're coming with me,†Blake said.
While some may mistake the colorful signatures as scribbles, Blake will be able to recognize each of the students’ handwriting and could even share countless stories about each child.
In the four or so months Blake spent with the kindergarten class as a student teacher, a bond was formed. So, when her time with them was coming to a close, she knew she wanted to do something special to help her remember them.
The idea first started when Blake was explaining to the students what graduation was and why she had to leave soon. Then, the kids decided they’d like to join her on the stage, too.
“They were like ‘Why can't we go on stage? We want to go to graduation. I want to go walk on the stage,’†Blake said. “I cannot bring 24 5-year-olds with me… So then I thought I might as well have them walk with me as close as I can.â€
So, she brought a white pair of sneakers into class one day and had each student sign their name with colorful markers. On the back of the soles, she wrote “Ms. Blake; Kindergarten; Fall 2023.â€
“Every day I teach and I wear these shoes, I can remember the kids that helped me get there from square one,†she said.
After completing her college career, Blake will soon head off to her own classroom, something her cooperating teacher, Cameron Mettenbrink, believes she’s ready for.
“She came in kind of just a natural out of the gate,†he said. “It was like taking a fish and just introducing it to water.â€
When Blake came to him with the idea of having the students write on her shoes, Mettenbrink said it was a moment that made him think, “Man, you’re such a kindergarten teacher.â€
But, it was not only a fun activity for the kids, it was something they may remember for a long time, he said. It made the students feel involved and special.
“For (the students) to have the symbolism of being with her as she finishes her educational journey and begins her teaching career, it's a pretty special moment,†he said.
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will grant more than 1,100 degrees during commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The arena, 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive, will host the graduation ceremony for students earning graduate and professional degrees at 3 p.m. Friday and one for those earning bachelor's degrees at 9 a.m. Saturday. Doors open to the public at 1:30 p.m. Friday and 7:30 a.m. Saturday.
The graduate and professional degree ceremony is expected to last two hours. The undergraduate ceremony is expected to last two-and-a-half hours.
Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett will preside over the ceremonies.
No tickets are required for the ceremonies and there are no limits to the number of guests per graduate.
The ceremonies will be streamed at commencement.unl.edu and broadcast live on Spectrum channel 1303, Allo channel 23 and Kinetic channel 1080.
For more information on the ceremonies, visit commencement.unl.edu or email commencement@unl.edu.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln student teacher Crandall Blake (left) talks in December with Lakeview Elementary kindergartners Asim Al Enezi (center) and Daavid Vargas Rangel as students show her certificates they drew in honor of her upcoming graduation.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln student teacher Crandall Blake holds the shoes signed by Lakeview Elementary kindergartners that she will wear during UNL's commencement ceremony on Saturday.