Graduation (including Graduation Cords) for Seniors
Graduation day is a solemn ceremony to honor the culmination of students’ academic work with a high school diploma. Seniors who fail to follow the Campus Rules a few weeks before graduation, risk walking on stage on graduation day. Graduation is on Tuesday, May 28th at 9am at the Burger Stadium.
Graduation Cords
The Akins Eagle cap and gown must be preserved as the main regalia or wear on graduation day. At the end of your senior year, students who have completed a coherent sequence of courses that earn an endorsement, may apply for an Academy Cord to wear during the graduation ceremony.
Students must be a member of the Academy from which the major cord is from in order to get that cord. For example, students in STEM may only apply for a STEM major cord.
If a student is in STEM and wishes to get a cord from AHA, this is not permitted.
Students are members of only one academy at a time and will be permitted to earn only one Academy cord, not two cords. Students who earn additional “approved” cords, such as Trustee, top 10% or a Community Service cord will be allowed to wear these at graduation. To earn a community service cord, students must complete 100 approved and documented hours of community service.
Any campus organization and/or program that wishes to have their seniors wear “activity” medals, stoles, and/or pins for graduation, must submit send a photo of the medal or stole to the AkinsGraduationCommittee@austinisd.org for graduation committee review prior to Friday, April 19, 2024. Otherwise, medals and/or pins will not be allowed at graduation, especially as graduation gets close to the actual date. For stoles, the general policy is that students must have been a member of the athletic/sport or organization for 4 years.
REGALIA, HONOR CORDS, OR STOLES
Honor cords recognize academic excellence and achievement in specialized programming.
REGALIA, HONOR CORDS, OR STOLES
- Top 10% Cum Laude (Praise) silver cord
- Top 5% Magna Cum Laude (Great Honor) maroon cord
- Top 2% Summa Cum Laude (Highest Honor) silver and maroon cord
- National Honor Society - White and Light Blue cord/stole
- National Merit Scholars - Commended - White cord
- National Merit Scholars - Recognized - Red and white cord
- National Merit Scholars - Semi-Finalist - Red, White & Black cord
- National Merit Scholars - Finalist - Red, White & Gold cord
- Presidential Scholars - / Red, Navy & Maroon cord
- The University of Texas OnRamps - Burnt Orange cord
- Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society) - Silver & Navy Blue cord
- Gifted and Talented Students - Red, White & Silver cord
- Who’s Who - Teal cord
- Student Council/Leadership Council - Red, Royal Blue & Silver
- AVID - Gray cord
- PALS - Lavender & Navy cord
- Band - Pink and gold cord
- Choir - Pink and white cord
- Dance - Pink & Black cord
- Orchestra - Pink and light Blue cord
- Theatre & Drama Performance - Orange cord
- Future Business Leaders of America - Black & Gold cord
- Spanish Honor Society - Red & Gold cord
- German Honor Society - Red, Black, and yellow cord
- French Honor Society - Red, White & Royal Blue cord
- Chinese Honor Society - Lavender cord
- Science Honor Society - Kelly Green, Gold & Purple cord
- Health Occupations Students - Silver & Purple cord
- National Art Honor Society - 2 cords tied together “rainbow” cord
- CTE Certifications - Forest Green & Silver cord
- CTE Sequence Completions - Lime Green, Orange and Royal Blue cord
- CTE Project Lead The Way - Red, Blue, and Purple cord
- ACC Associate Degrees - Purple & White (ACC colors) stole/cord
- ACC Completion 12+ college credit hours - Purple cord
- College, Career & Military Readiness - Kelly Green
- Clifton CTE Program Completion - Forest Green & White
- Athletics - One sport Varsity letter - Silver & Black cord
- Athletics - Two sports Varsity letter - Silver & Tangerine cord
- Athletics - Three sports Varsity letter - Silver & Gold cord
- Athletics - Sports Medicine - Silver & White cord
Student organizations and clubs may choose to purchase lapel pins to honor active seniors. These pins are to be worn on the ribbon of the graduation medallion (given to seniors on the day of graduation). The lapel pin chosen should be approved by the HS campus graduation committee prior to purchase.