Affinity celebrations bring together graduates, families and mentors

Elon University hosted affinity celebrations on Dec. 11, 2025, for students in the School of Law and School of Health Sciences set to graduate the following day at Commencement exercises inside Alumni Gym.

Coordinated by the Division of Inclusive Excellence with support from additional university offices and programs, the three affinity celebrations inside the Lakeside Meeting Room honored and recognized the rich histories and cultures of Elon’s community.

A heartfelt program to recognize ‘authentic selves’

Elon’s Lavender Celebration, coordinated by the Gender and LGBTQIA Center and the Division of Inclusive Excellence, recognized seven graduating students from Elon’s School of Health Sciences and School of Law as allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“We celebrate you: your hard work, your resilience, and the unique journeys that have brought you here,” Melissa Scales, associate professor of physical therapy education, said in her welcoming graduates. “Each of you has made a significant impact, not only through your academic achievements, but also by being your authentic selves and advocating for a more inclusive world.”

Each student received a rainbow stole and heard a personal tribute from friends, family and faculty, including Scales, Assistant Professor Bob Minarcin and Krista Contino Saumby, associate director of career development for Elon Law.

Among the tributes were those to Taylor Streuli L’25, executive director of OUTLaw. Minarcin, also OUTLaw’s faculty co-adviser, called their kindness and courage “a superpower” that connects people.

“Taylor’s constant efforts to improve both Elon and our broader community come from a place of genuine love and bravery,” said Minarcin, recalling OUTLaw’s trip to the Lavender Law Conference where Streuli fearlessly engaged with everyone. “Keep being you, Taylor — the world desperately needs more people willing to introduce themselves to an entire bar full of lawyers.”

Scales celebrated Raya Cubley, a Doctor of Physical Therapy candidate in the School of Health Sciences. “Raya advocates fiercely for equity — for her peers and for her patients,” Scales said. “She is brilliant, compassionate, and unapologetically herself.”

Closing the ceremony, Luis Garay, director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center,  recognized the importance of family and friends in supporting the achievements of these graduate students.

“As we close our time together, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all our Lavender graduates,” Garay said. “We hope the messages shared today inspire our community as we continue to support you beyond this moment.”

¡Celebremos! honors journeys, roots and communities

Heritage, community and the journeys that shaped graduates were at the heart of the ¡Celebremos! Graduates Take Flight ceremony, which honored nine Latinx/Hispanic students from Elon Law and the School of Health Sciences.

“When you think about today, think back to when you first dreamed of receiving a professional degree,” Adriana Hernandez Ordonez L’25 said during her keynote address. “The same person who worked hard every single day to accomplish their goals is the same person sitting here, now waiting to walk on the stage.”

In its third year for December graduates of Elon Law and the School of Health Sciences, ¡Celebremos! recognizes the achievements of students as well as the “villages” of family and friends whose support has been instrumental throughout their educational journey.

Building on that reflection, Hernandez Ordonez reminded graduates of the meaningful influence they’ll bring to the communities they serve.

“Our families are the emotional support we held onto through this journey,” Hernandez Ordonez said. “Our roots keep us grounded and remind us of where we come from, even when life becomes overwhelming.”

During the ceremony, each graduate received a stole adorned with a monarch butterfly design created by Carolina Ferreyros ’20. As graduates received their stoles, faculty read heartfelt letters they had written to members of their “village,” sharing gratitude, acknowledgment and reflections that honored their heritage and culture.

“This stole symbolizes the journey that brought you to Elon,” said Sylvia Muñoz G’02, assistant dean of students and director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education.

The ceremony concluded with an alumni presentation that welcomed graduates into the Elon alumni family and underscored the value of staying engaged and lending voices to a community that now extends beyond campus.

“Your paths to this moment have taken many shapes,” said La’Tonya Wiley ’97, assistant director for alumni affinity engagement. “Some of you studied on main campus, others at locations across the region and in immersive placements far beyond North Carolina. Regardless of where you learned, you are now part of a global alumni community rooted in connection, culture, and shared purpose.”

Donning of the Kente celebrates identity, journey and achievement

A ceremony that celebrates the achievements of graduating students who recognize their African roots included keynote remarks from a former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

In her address, Cheri Beasley, Elon University’s Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Professor, encouraged graduating students to claim their future – even if those futures are uncertain.

“This moment really is about who you are as people of color in your African heritage and all that you’ve accomplished,” Beasley said. “I hope that you have begun to take the time to relish in your accomplishments and think about what this journey has really meant for you.”

Each graduate who participated in the afternoon program received a handwoven kente cloth stole imported from Ghana to be worn during Commencement. Elon faculty and staff read tributes written by student’s faculty, family and friends, as each graduate stood before the audience.

The kente cloth symbolizes prestige in many African societies dating to the 12th century. Worn during ceremonial events by royalty and important figures of state in Ghanaian society, the kente cloth is a visual representation of African history, philosophy ethics, oral literature, moral values, social code of conduct, religious beliefs, political thought and aesthetic principles.

Beasley discussed her own meaningful trip to the village in Ghana where the kente cloth is made and how a student’s educational and career journey is comparable to the journey of the cloth itself.

“Your career will be filled with unexpected twists and turns,” said Beasley. “Many of your twists will be joyous, and other times less so, and I also know that transition often does cost stress. Life happens that way, much like that woven loom that creates the Kente, that takes months to develop this really beautiful piece of fabric. But you put in the investment and the hard work, and you always see the fruits of your labor.”

The Rev. Kirstin Boswell, Elon University’s chaplain and dean of multifaith engagement, opened the ceremony with an invocation that was followed by an introduction from Maha Lund, dean of the School of Health Sciences.

“You have crossed rivers that your professors couldn’t see. You have spoken truths that your peers could not hold. You have spoken truths that your peers could not hold. You have carried the weight of brilliance and burden of community and of contradiction. And still, you continue to rise,” Boswell said. “This kente cloth, this sacred ritual, this moment, is not performance. It is a moment of proclamation. You are the ones who made it.”

Closing the ceremony, Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer reminded students to celebrate their accomplishments but get ready to do the work of their professions.

“We expect you to throw your all into that, because we need you. Our communities need you. The world needs you,” Kramer said. “It means the world to us that you started that journey, which will be long, but you started here. And you will always be part of Elon.”