Started in 2005, the Stoling Ceremony allows graduating students of color to celebrate their achievements with a mentor who has inspired and supported them. In return, mentors bestow on the student a Kente cloth or satin cloth stole that is embroidered with “MHC” and three symbols — a diamond to signify wealth and knowledge, a key to represent the key to knowledge and a spool to reflect leadership and unity.
The tradition, now planned by the Student Government Association’s Students of Color Committee, was established by faculty and staff of color across multiple departments as a way to acknowledge the accomplishments of students of color who graduate, especially from predominantly white institutions, and honor the elders/mentors who contributed to their success.
