Graduation will celebrate academic and extra-curricular achievements as well as personal heritage, thanks to the UA cultural centers’ special convocation ceremonies.

The Multicultural Affairs and Student Success office allows cultural and diversity groups on campus to have their own graduation ceremonies, including African American Student Affairs, Asian-Pacific American Student Affairs, Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs and Native American Student Affairs.

The African American Student Affairs Graduation Convocation will be held May 7 at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center’s North Ballroom. The event includes free refreshments and a dance performance choreographed by Barbea Williams, an African dance instructor at the UA.

The special ceremony allows students’ ethnicities to be honored during their graduation in its own entity, according to Myott Smith, an intern with African American Student Affairs and a sophomore studying businesses marketing and retail and consumer sciences.

“”You need to have that connection to your roots,”” she said.

The Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs Graduation Convocation will be held May 11 at 4:30 p.m. in Centennial Hall. The event will be presented in both English and Spanish, and a mariachi band will perform for guests as they are seated and at the reception following the ceremony.

Socorro Carrizosa, program director of the Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs, said their bilingual convocation makes a difference to participating students because some of their family members may not speak English and can appreciate the ceremony. She said the ceremony is not exclusive to recognizing only Latino culture, but all cultures.

“”Everyone can participate,”” she said.

The Asian-Pacific American Student Affairs’ Lotus Laureate Graduation Convocation will be held May 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center’s South Ballroom. In addition to recognizing spring, summer graduates, the event will offer award presentations, guest speakers and cultural performances, according to Danthai Xayaphanh, the director of Asian-Pacific American Student Affairs.

Xayaphanh said ceremonies offered by the cultural centers give students a more individualized graduation and honors student achievement within their culture.

The Native American Student Affairs Graduation Convocation will be held May 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center’s North Ballroom. The seniors, graduate students and professional students participating can wear their traditional Native American attire in addition to their cap and gown.