At the University of Miami, campus life thrives on students and their passion for exploration, leadership, and opportunity. Across campus, students gain meaningful experiences that strengthen their professional skills beyond the classroom. There are many offices, organizations, and departments for students to get involved - from student employment to advocacy and social change - students have a large selection to learn from. Each spring, the different groups take time to recognize their graduating students, celebrating the impact they’ve made within their organizations and the leadership they’ve shown throughout their time at UM.
Across the Division of Student Affairs and Alumni Engagement, departments and offices celebrate their graduating students in special ways because being a student leader, an advocate or a student employee, while earning a collegiate degree is something worth celebrating.
The Multicultural Student Affairs office hosts Senior Mwambo, a rite-of-passage ceremony honoring the accomplishments of graduating students. For many, it serves as a powerful tradition marking their transition into the next stage of life.
Through the LGBTQ Center, graduating students are recognized at the annual Lavender Celebration, a nationally recognized collegiate tradition celebrated for decades. Graduates who identify as LGBTQ are honored for their achievements and receive rainbow cords to wear with their regalia.
The Veterans Resource Center celebrates their graduating students through their annual Veterans honor cord ceremony. Students who served in the military are welcome to attend and be recognized for their service and academic accomplishments through a ceremony.
Student leadership at the University of Miami is deeply interconnected, creating pathways for students of all identities, passions, and backgrounds to explore their interests and develop their skills. Many of these graduates leave UM with a unique perspective shaped by their involvement, one that prepares them to lead with purpose in their professional and personal lives. As they transition into life beyond UM, their organizations celebrate not only their achievements but the legacy they leave behind, recognizing the ways they have shaped their communities and strengthened the fabric of campus life.
