Senior Mwambo Program

HISTORY SENIOR MWAMBO

or Mwambo is an African rite assage ceremony that marks transition of Black graduates m their lives at the University of mi to advanced education and essional careers.

blished in 1992 through the on of Malawian international ent, Mr. Patrick A. Masala, ambo recognizes the omplishments of our Black duates and their families. It is a bration of the transition from stage of life to the next.

ELEMENTS SENIOR MWAMBO 2023

It is a celebration of the students’ passage from one stage of life’s journey to the next. The Mwambo has four symbolic components, all of which are represented during this celebration:

FOOD to nourish the body and spirit

MUSIC to invoke God and the ancestral spirits

WATER to represent the medium of life to symbolize African cultural identity

The Senior Mwambo begins with a libation, or blessing, by Tsitsi Wakhisi, the ceremonial elder. The libation is performed in the language of Nana (Twii) and English, and contains three important elements:

“ONYANKOPON KWAME BEGYE NOM” an invitation to God to come and receive drink

“ASASE YAA BEGYE ESA NOM” a blessing of the earth

"NANAMON NSAMANFO BEGYE ESA NOM” a blessing of honor and respect to our ancestors

The graduates are then invited forward to receive a kente cloth stole and stand before their families, peers, and University of Miami community to be recognized for their achievements.

WORDS OF WISDOM

MacKenzie Green | Class of 2010

MacKenzie Green currently serves as Vice President of Social for Who What Wear/Clique Brands. She oversees social strategy for Who What Wear (US and UK) as well as Marie Claire (US and UK). She previously served as a founding team member for BET+ as the director of social media, and senior manager of branded content for Betches Media.

She is a co-host on The Taylor Strecker Show. Covering current events through the lens of pop culture.

MacKenzie graduated on the Provost Honor Roll from the University of Miami, with a double major in broadcast journalism and sports administration. She was station manager at UMTV-the first African American and first female to hold this position in the 29-year history of the station—and was UMTV-NewsVision Lead Sports Anchor (Emmy-nominated); Sports Desk Commentator; and Feature Reporter.

She went on to earn an MBA from Columbia Business School with a concentration in entertainment and marketing, was a Laidlaw Fellow, and Poets & Quants 50 Global MBAs to watch during her first, and final year at Columbia. She was cited by Forbes as a Columbia MBA candidate to watch. She is a graduate of the UCLA Riordan MBA Fellows Program.

Green is a former Division 1 Swimmer and Pro-Am Equestrian, having won Washington International Horeshow's Children's Local Jumpers, and competed in the Junior Olympics for swimming more than a dozen times. And, in 2010 had the honor of representing Washington, DC as Miss DC USA in the Miss USA Pageant.

Her philanthropic service also includes The Shoebox Project where she is a member of the US board. She is the immediate past president of the University of Miami Young Alumni Council and currently serves on the University's alumni board of directors. She is on the board of the Girls Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. And, she is a proud member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Green is a happy dog mom. She's an avid marathon runner, with the bad knees to prove it. You can find her surfing, hiking, or looking for a quality breakfast burrito around Los Angeles. And in 2020 she became a nationally ranked memory athlete placing in the top 25 of the USA Memory Championship.