The majority of college students across the United States wear graduation stoles to their commencement ceremony. Graduation stoles are meant to be worn above the gown and over the shoulders of graduates.
Make sure at you don't have a crazy fall at graduation like this student!
The meaning behind graduation stoles varies depending on the specific grad and the type stole. In some cases graduates will wear more than one. Some schools have traditional stoles that all grads are required or recommended to wear. These are often purchased at the school bookstore when renting a cap and gown. Students generally get to keep the cap and stole while returning the gown (which is rented).
Some fraternities or sororities wear matching graduation stoles. These are created to match organization colors or school colors. Ethnic or culturally based organizations also wear stoles to smaller ethnic specific graduation ceremonies (i.e. PGrad, VGrad, Chicano Graduation, etc.) and the common graduation ceremony.
One type of graduation stole is the stole of gratitude
The Stole of Gratitude
The Stole of Gratitude is worn during the commencement ceremony. After the ceremony, the new graduate presents the Stole of Gratitude to someone who provided extraordinary help or support, i.e., parents, relatives, or mentors who have helped with wisdom, words of support, or with financial assistance. Immediately after graduation,(UCSB)
the graduate may take the stole from around his/her neck and place it around the neck
of the recipient. More than one stole may be worn during commencement, symbolizing that there are multiple persons destined to receive Stoles of Gratitude.
Find out more about the origins and histroy of the graduation stole.
And if you’re planning on graduating soon, check out yoursash.com for your graduation stoles