USF World News

Spring 2016 International Student Sash Ceremony

This May the USF System conferred more than 6,500 degrees during six commencement ceremonies held over the course of four days. Of those graduates, more than 400 were international students registered for the Tampa campus.

A tradition for more than 10 years, the USF Office of International Services hosts a Sash Ceremony and Reception each semester. This spring the office awarded sashes to students from 62 countries, including: India, China, Brazil, Ukraine, Colombia, Jamaica, the Netherlands and more.

The sashes are awarded at the end of each semester during a ceremony in the Marshall Student Center Oval Theatre and are presented by Dr. Roger Brindley, Vice Provost and USF System Associate Vice President for USF World, and Marcia Taylor, Director of International Services. Each sash is embroidered with the student's home country flag, encouraging discussion of their origin among peers during commencement. Graduates and their friends and families are invited to attend the ceremony. With some families, it is their first time traveling to the United States.

"The sash ceremony is such a wonderful way to close out each semester because it brings each of us back to why we're here – the students. We strive to celebrate our students' heritage throughout their time at USF, but this celebration is special because it's the one occasion that allows us the opportunity to invite the whole international family into one space to say thank you for what you've contributed to our community," said Kristen Zernick, Student Program Coordinator for International Services. "It's a pretty powerful visual to look over the balcony in the Marshall Student Center and see 100+ faces and flags coming together to say 'Go Bulls' one last time." 

For pictures of the event, visit the International Services Facebook page.