As West Michigan students head back to school, one local author is encouraging families to start preserving the memories that will eventually become part of a much bigger story.
West Michigan author Carla M. Flanders is celebrating national recognition for her debut book, On The Day You Graduate, which received the Silver Medal in the Gift Book category at the 2026 Independent Book Publishers Association Book Awards.
The recognition is particularly notable for Flanders, whose book was self-published. Established in 1985, the IBPA Book Awards recognize excellence in independent publishing and honor outstanding books published by independent presses across the United States. The 2026 awards attracted close to 2,000 entries, with most categories receiving between 30 and more than 100 entries.
“Receiving the Silver Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association for my first self-published book, On The Day You Graduate, is truly an honor,” Flanders said. “This book was created to help families capture and celebrate one of life’s most meaningful milestones, and I am incredibly grateful to see it recognized on a national level. My hope has always been that it becomes a treasured keepsake for graduates and their loved ones for generations to come.”
On The Day You Graduate is an interactive graduation keepsake designed to document a student’s journey from birth through graduation. Through fill-in-the-blank pages and guided writing prompts, graduates can record memories from their school years, reflect on accomplishments and capture their hopes and dreams for the future.
But the book isn’t intended to be completed by the graduate alone. Family members, teachers, mentors and friends can contribute messages and reflections, creating a record of the people and experiences that helped shape the student’s journey.
That makes the book a potential back-to-school tradition, too. Flanders says it can be given to a child entering school and used throughout the years as an end-of-year message book. Teachers, mentors and friends can write memories and messages from each school year, gradually creating a keepsake that can be revisited when the student reaches graduation.
The book is also intended as a gift for new parents and young readers, giving families an opportunity to begin documenting a child’s educational journey early rather than trying to reconstruct years of memories at graduation.
For Flanders, the idea grew from her own family’s journey. The CEO of CMF Marketing & Events, she has more than 25 years of experience in marketing management, strategic planning and public relations and specializes in event coordination, producing everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale, multi-day festivals.
Now, her first book has earned a national honor while offering West Michigan families a way to turn everyday school-year memories into a keepsake for the future.
On The Day You Graduate is available online and at West Michigan retail shops, as well as through Amazon and Etsy. Learn more HERE.
