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ALANA ceremony 2024

ALANA Celebration

ALANA is a celebration of success for ALANA – African / African American / Black;  Latino / Latina / Hispanic;  Asian / Pacific Islander; Native American / Indigenous / First nation – students. This event culminates with the presentation of traditional Ghanaian Kente cloth graduation stoles. The Kente stole signifies students’ “rite of passage” and the commencing of their leadership in the world. Graduates will wear the Kente stoles at their respective university graduations. This is a proud moment for our students and their loved ones. We look forward to seeing the next class of students collect their stoles and proudly represent their excellence.

Class of 2026 ALANA Celebration and Kente Stole Presentation

  • Saturday, May 16, 2026
  • 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • The Marketplace
  • Parking in Lots 5 & 6

Celebrating diversity & excellence 

UMass Dartmouth celebrates African/Black, Latin/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American/Indigenous graduates of color. Read about how our ALANA students discovered their pathway to success through community engagement, leadership roles, networking opportunities, & real-world experience.

Honors Nursing major
Queyka "Kayeekuh" SaintLouis '24: First-generation nursing major aspires to become a nurse educator

Working at a camp for children and teens with diabetes impacted her career goals

Student Percy Williams standing outside on UMassD campus
Percy Mason Williams '24: A sense of belonging

Computer science major reflects on his UMassD experience, including an internship at technology company Honeywell

Junior accounting and finance dual major and lacrosse defender Widline Thomas
Widline Thomas '24: Busy season

Double major, student-athlete, and campus leader succeeds on and off the field

Adriana Lebreault carries a Dominican Republic flag at commencement
Adriana Lebreault '23: Overcoming adversity

First-generation and independent student finds community and support system at UMassD

Busola Awobode '22, English major and Philosophy minor
Busola Awobode '22: Seizing opportunities

Senior English major and philosophy minor in the College of Arts and Sciences

Stephanie Teixeira ’22: Nursing major and student leader

First-generation college student has excelled in academics and leadership and is grateful for the "village" of supporters who played a role in her success

Cachelle Johnson Lewis, UMassD College of Engineering student
Cachelle Johnson-Lewis '21 joins Dell EMC

Networking & pursuing professional development + leadership opportunities helped prepare Cachelle for her full-time position as a project/program management analyst at Dell EMC.

Melanie Luperon
Melanie Luperon '21: Gaining real-world experience

Melanie, a computer engineering major, says real-world experience, collaborative research projects, & extracurricular activities prepared her for her full-time position as an analyst with Dell EMC.

Larain Taylor
Larain Taylor ’21: An entrepreneurial mind

Blending community service work, networking, and exposure to big business is part of Larain’s strategy for inventing her future as an entrepreneur.

Abderahmane Naidjate, UMass Dartmouth College of Engineering student
Abderahmane Naidjate '21 joins Dell EMC

Abderahmane Naidjate '21, who graduates next month with his BS in Computer Engineering, talks about how UMassD has fostered his career path and helped him segue into a full-time position as a project/program manager at Dell EMC.

Joshua Depina, Computer Science student at UMassD
Joshua Depina '21: Integrating service & learning

Joshua supplements his studies with military service, real-world experience, and community engagement to prepare for his future as a software engineer.

Spencer Berryman, marketing major at UMass Dartmouth
Spencer Berryman ’21: The art of communication

Faculty mentors, community service work, and a Dell EMC workshop help Spencer find the confidence to pursue a bright future.

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