Mortar Board Memorial: Teen's Unique Tribute To Friend Who Died

GIG HARBOR, WA - Emily Ramm died in August 2016 in a tragic, sudden accident. She fell off a ladder while climbing up to the roof of an under-construction building to get a better view of a meteor shower. The 16-year-old left behind her parents, six siblings, and scores of friends.

During a graduation ceremony on Sunday, one of those friends brought Ramm along.

Lexi Ellis, 18, used the space on her mortar board as a memorial for Ramm. Ellis' design included photos of the two embracing, and - as if in a message to Ramm - a heart-shaped picture of Western Washington University, where Ellis will attend college in the fall.

Early in the morning on Aug. 13, Ramm and a friend set out to watch a meteor shower in Silverdale. They decided to climb up on the roof of Silverdale Elementary, which was under construction. As they were climbing, Ramm slipped and fell. Her friend, Raj Raman, tried to catch her, but she slipped through his hands.

Ramm suffered a severe brain injury. She died later at Tacoma General Hospital.

After her death, Ramm's family decided to donate her kidneys and liver - a fitting legacy for a girl described as generous and loving.

"If you knew Emily, you know she loved to help others. She would of been so proud to know who her kidneys went to and the lives has changed forever," her father John Ramm wrote on a GoFundMe fundraiser page in 2016.

At Gig Harbor High School, Ramm and Ellis got to be friends while competing on the school's debate squad.

On Sunday, they got to graduate high school together.

Image courtesy Lisa Ellis