Sponsored by the SGA Students of Color Committee, the Stoling Ceremony celebrates graduating students of color by offering them the opportunity to be acknowledged while also acknowledging their mentor.

The ceremony is open to both domestic and international students of color who are either May or December graduates participating in Commencement.

Attendees must be in the testing program.

What is the Stoling Ceremony?

The Stoling Ceremony was organized in May 2005 by various Elders (faculty and staff of color who volunteered beyond their daily work responsibilities) of Mount Holyoke College as an initiative to acknowledge the unique experiences of students of color who attend predominantly white institutions.

The ceremony is a celebration and a moment for reflection. In addition, it is an opportunity for the seniors to name (and thank!) a mentor who played a key role in their persistence to graduation (i.e., advisor, dining staff, facilities staff, faculty, residential life staff, administrative staff, coach). The heart of the program is the moment of gratitude as the mentor presents the student with a Kente stole, and the student offers the mentor a flower in exchange.

This commencement tradition is now organized and sponsored by the SGA Students of Color Committee, under the advisement of Latrina L. Denson, Associate Dean of Students, Community and Inclusion with support from the Division of Student Life.