By Ariel Berry

As Albion College prepares to formally recognize the Class of 2022 May 7 at Commencement, the College for the first time hosted three multicultural graduation events April 29: La Cosecha (which means “the harvest” in Spanish) for Latinx and Hispanic students, the Lavender graduation for LGBTQIA+ students and the Kente graduation for Black students, named after a beautiful cloth made by people in Ghana and Togo.

“Multicultural ceremonies are something that people do at other places and I did them at my previous institution,” says Sharese Shannon Mathis, assistant dean of campus life. “And I talked to the students about it and they said, ‘we want to have that here.’”

So, Mathis made it happen. Students and their supporters gathered in Upper Baldwin and Tennant Hall last Friday evening to celebrate.

While there is still the moment of walking across the Kresge Gymnasium steps at Commencement this Saturday, having a culturally focused graduation is a meaningful way to recognize students’ struggles and triumphs. “Traditional graduation is amazing, and it does celebrate the ultimate goal of matriculation,” Mathis says. “But the thing about the culturally specific graduations is really being able to discuss and share some of the experiences that you may have overcome, in a space where people will understand.”

It was an emotional evening. Many students and speakers shared that they were the first of their family to attend college. Dr. Ashley Woodson, dean of the School for Public Purpose and Professional Advancement, encouraged the students at the Kente graduation by saying, “I welcome you to a world where we revel in Black solidarity, Black joy, Black struggle and Black possibility, where we choose empathy, mutuality, justice and voice.”

Guest speakers included Dr. Isabel Montemayor-Vazquez, executive director of the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, at La Cosecha; theologian and one-time Albion residence hall director Erin Mieskowski at the Lavender graduation; and healthcare analyst Malene Smith, ’19, at the Kente graduation.

Each student was presented with a cord or stole as a way to honor their culture and recognize their accomplishments. It was a night of fun and bittersweet memories; of students celebrating pride in their cultures and in themselves; and for overcoming insurmountable hurdles. As they prepare to leave Albion College as alumni, students used this opportunity to reflect on their past and their roots as they look forward to their bright futures.