As a new class of graduates walk the Lawn, pops of color will mark the crowd. While the typical graduation fixtures of caps and gowns adorn the soon-to-be-alumni of the University, there is something atypical in the hands of many students — a balloon.
These helium-filled novelties have become a staple at Final Exercises at the University. The tradition began in the past two decades as a way for families to spot graduates in the large, similarly-dressed crowd.
For the vast majority of graduates, Final Exercises is the last time they get to be a student on Grounds. The balloons, in tandem, are one of their final acts at the University. Annie Zhao, Vice President of Fourth-Year Trustees and fourth-year College student, highlighted how the tradition is a bookend for all of their accomplishments at the University and an avenue of expression for students.
“Everyone's in the same gown … as you're walking down … so having your balloons is [saying], ‘This is me. I am U.Va. I'm walking down the Lawn … and I’ve graduated,’” Zhao said.
Each graduate chooses their balloon with a distinct meaning in mind, from something simple like a favorite color to a deeper childhood memory. Fourth-year College student Molly Isabella’s balloon is a goose. A tie back to her childhood nickname “Goose” given to her by her father — an alumnus of the University — the balloon is meant to represent the child she says goodbye to as she enters adulthood after graduation.
“[To me], the balloon is supposed to represent your childhood and packing up that era of your life,” Isabella said. “I thought a goose would be good … My childhood nickname ties to my family and part of my identity.”
Ella Kreft, Fourth-Year Trustees graduation chair and fourth-year College student, has had a vital hand in this year’s Final Exercises, from organizing the commencement speaker to working with the Office of the President. From her volunteer experiences at past graduations, the balloons have become something she has loved due to the colorful individuality they bring for each graduate.
“Students are really able to choose what signifies their time at U.Va., their major [or] their interests,” Kreft said. “As you're walking, [the balloon is] like an indicator of what you've spent your time doing at U.Va., or maybe in your life or where you're from, which is interesting.”
However, students find that with this tradition comes pressure to pick the perfect balloon. Many can feel as though they have to pick a mere entity or two to represent a whole chapter of their life. For Zhao, anxiety about having the quintessential encapsulating figure has caused her to remain undecided about what she will choose to carry with her down the Lawn.
“Why I'm kind of undecided on which balloons I want at this point [is] because it feels like it's a display of who I am,” Zhao said. “I want it to be meaningful. I want it to be representative of all the good memories. But there's only so many balloons you can have before it gets too jumbled.”
For many prospective balloon-carriers, the added pressures of aesthetically commemorating milestones on social media make them feel like they need to have the perfect balloon in order to curate the perfect graduation post. Isabella, a content creator who documents her life at the University, said this aspect has contributed to her stress about graduation.
“You want something that's very unique to you, and you want something that other people are going to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, wow, that's such a good one’ or ‘What's the meaning behind it?’ You want it to be significant,” Isabella said. “I definitely think there is pressure, especially at U.Va., because everyone has these crazy good ideas … something that's so significant they encapsulate it in the perfect balloon.”
The popularity of the University tradition only continues to rise each year. Seeing recent graduations’ increase in balloons, the “Balloon Brigade” — as it was dubbed by the Office for Sustainability — was formed in order to manage the large quantity of balloons.
Specifically, the Balloon Brigade has a system for how to handle the thousands of balloons to reduce waste. The balloons are not released — in accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s illegalization of intentional outdoor balloon releases in 2021 — but instead collected as students walk down the Lawn. Once acquired, the majority of the balloons are donated to U.Va. Health Children’s Hospital, with excess then being distributed to local elementary schools or nursing homes.
The idea to donate the excess balloons came from Matt Weber, senior advisor to the president and chief creative officer, in 2019, during his term as senior assistant to the president. For graduates like Zhao, the contribution to a greater cause makes the tradition even more special.
“One of my favorite parts about our volunteers at grad weekend is that they're able to donate all of these balloons,” Zhao said. “I think that's the best-case scenario of mass donation [and] handling of the balloons, is to give them to people who would love to have them, right? It would make their days to have balloons that are out of the ordinary.”
Though the balloons are a bright and colorful tradition to some, they can be a pesky hindrance to others. Some feel that besides bringing whimsy and originality to the ceremony, they can obstruct onlookers’ views of the renowned sights the University offers. For Lela Garner, sustainability manager for student outreach and engagement in the University’s Office for Sustainability, this apprehension is largely directed towards those who opt to string multiple mementos.
“While I appreciate the ‘feel-good’ aspects of a balloon-filled graduation, I do wonder if this element has grown a bit too large,” Garner said. “I’m personally a fan of simply enjoying the beautiful architecture and history of the Lawn. Perhaps graduates could limit themselves to one balloon each so we can strike a better balance.”
With added balloons comes another possibility — repeated balloons. While the tradition is rooted in individuality, Isabella welcomes the idea that someone might also carry a goose just like her. Even though they would have the same balloon, she emphasized that the reasoning or choice behind the decision is what truly makes it unique.
“If there's another goose, I would love that, because I want to ask someone else why they would have picked the same one,” Isabella said. “I'm very happy with the meaning that I chose.”
As they walk down the Lawn one final time together, each graduating class is bound together by students holding the string of their balloon that flies high above them. While these balloons may not go with them past the Lawn, they signify one’s last page of the chapter of student life at the University.
“The balloons are a sign of unity and joy … [and] each person is able to express themselves through the balloons that they choose,” Zhao said.
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