Earning a Ph.D. degree requires years of dedication and hard work, creativity, and resiliency. It also requires the support of a mentor. Each year during Einstein’s commencement, this special relationship is honored through the hooding ceremony, when each mentor places a scarf representing the degree earned over their student’s shoulders.

This year, in lieu of this tradition, mentors and students were given the option to submit video messages. These short clips of Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students and their mentors offer a glimpse of the support, pride, and trust evident in their relationships.

To see all of the messages, watch the full Ph.D. convocation ceremony.