Photo: Faith Ninivaggi
MD/PhD students Abiola Ogunsola and Bethany Berry placed Kente and multicultural stoles on the shoulders of graduating UMass Chan Medical School students at the Deborah Harmon Hines, PhD, Commencement Celebration on Friday, May 29. Kente fabric comes from Ghana, West Africa, and represents unity, belonging, renewal and prosperity.
The event has evolved from what it was in 2021: a stole ceremony and potluck lunch in the backyard of Matilde Castiel, MD, associate professor of medicine. More than 100 people attended this Friday’s event, which was renamed in 2023 in honor of Dr. Hines. Hines retired in 2017 as vice provost for school services and professor of radiology and nursing and is credited with establishing the Worcester Pipeline Collaborative with the Worcester Public Schools to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups entering careers in science and medicine.
MD/PhD student Webb Camille, one of the last students to be directly mentored by Hines during his time at UMass Chan, described the impact of her decade-long mentorship, which began during a summer research program and culminated with his acceptance into the Medical School.
“Medical school was not easy. I was competing with students whose parents paid their rent while I served at Olive Garden on nights before exams,” said Camille. “Those hardships continued through my PhD studies where I performed experiments during the day and cleaned the homes of clients at night. These tribulations couldn’t stop me because I had my mother and Dr. Hines in my corner.”
The Diversity and Inclusion Office and the Inclusive Excellence Student Council organized the event.
“Behind every graduate in this room, there’s a village made up of people that sacrificed for you, prayed for you, supported you and believed in you, even when you didn’t. We will continue to cheer you on wherever the journey takes you,” said Marlina Duncan, EdD, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, in her welcome remarks.
Cherise Y. Hamblin, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology, and director of community workforce development and capacity building for the UMass Chan Collaborative in Health Equity, launched a new tradition, providing notebooks for graduating students to grab after donning their stoles.
“Time goes by and you forget what it’s like to not know,” said Dr. Hamblin. “The first time you have to break news or make a diagnosis is not the same as the 250th time. It’s nice to capture those moments.”
Twenty-five students from the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and T.H. Chan School of Medicine received stoles, with a student from each school providing a reflection.
“Representation matters, not simply because we made it here, but because who we are changes the system itself,” said Doctor of Nursing Practice student Elizabeth Osa-Agbontaen, RN. “Every patient who sees themselves reflected in their provider experiences something powerful: hope, trust, understanding, possibility. May we become providers who listen deeply, advocate boldly, challenge broken systems rather than simply adapting to them, and never forget the humanity behind every chart, diagnosis and clinical encounter.”
“Graduates of 2026, I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that we are the embodiment of hope,” said Berry. “When patients hope for a diagnosis, hope for a cure or hope for a hand to hold as they face their greatest fears, we are their hope. I hope my fellow graduates will join me as individuals who will fight against indifference, who will support and praise the people around us, and who will be cognizant of the power we hold and the responsibility we have.”
