The Stories They Wear: Four Graduates and their 2026 Commencement Sentimental Statement Pieces
Every GSDM graduate wears similar caps and gowns on their commencement day. But some members of the Class of 2026 are adding a personalized touch to their regalia to make their mark on the momentous occasion.
We spoke to four graduates about their fashion choices and the deeper meaning behind them.
Noor Charif DMD 26
Family Jewelry
Noor Charif DMD 26 wears one piece of jewelry—a custom-made gold necklace of her name—every day. Her commencement day will be no exception.
She received the necklace from her maternal grandmother when she turned sixteen. Her sister and her female cousins have similar necklaces from Damascus, Syria (her grandmother’s home country), as part of a common Middle Eastern tradition.
Her family has been her ultimate support system throughout her dental education, Charif said. Charif’s parents live in the United Arab Emirates, while her maternal grandmother resides in the United Kingdom. Charif refers to her phone calls with her grandmother as “emotional refreshers.”
Wearing the necklace is a way of keeping her family physically close, despite them being an ocean away, she said.
“My achievement is as much my achievement as it is for my parents and my grandparents,” Charif said. “My grandmother has seen me through all the ups and all the downs and it’s important to me to have a piece of her as well as the rest of my family on graduation day.”
For commencement, Charif will be layering her name necklace with a pearl and gold necklace. She said she has worn these necklaces together for all special events, so it felt fitting to do for Commencement.
Charif will also be wearing a custom ring with purple and red stones—purple for dentistry and red for BU—that her paternal grandmother gave her.
“I’ll have a piece of her too,” Charif said.
Neil Unnadkat DMD AS 26
Special Dental Occasion Navy-Blue Suit
A medical professional needs to dress for the part: That is the advice Neil Unnadkat DMD AS 26 heard from his late uncle, Dr. Ramesh Raja, since childhood.
Unnadkat viewed Raja, a U.K.-based radiologist, as a mentor, comparing their relationship to Peter Parker and Uncle Ben in “Spiderman.” When Unnadkat was getting ready for dental school interviews in the U.K., Raja was determined to buy his nephew a new suit for the occasion.
Their selection, a navy-blue suit, was the first suit Unnadkat owned that wasn’t thrifted or a hand-me-down. Unnadkat wore the suit to his interviews and was accepted to every school at which he interviewed, crediting the suit as the ultimate good luck charm.
When he was approaching his graduation from Cardiff University School of Dentistry in 2021, four months after Raja passed away from a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, Unnadkat knew he wanted to wear the suit.
“I owe this man so much more than just being able to wear this suit, but it’s the least I can do to say, ‘Thank you for everything,’” Unnadkat said.
Unnadkat donned the suit for his GSDM Zoom interview, Professional Ceremony, and White Coat Ceremony. As he prepares to wear the suit once more for Commencement, he said the outfit reminds him the man who helped him achieve his goals and his beginnings.
“I’ve got a red tie and a blue suit with a white shirt underneath…To me, this is my ‘I am Spiderman’ moment,” Unnadkat said. “I put on the suit, and it is everything culminating in this ‘you can make your dreams come true’ kind of moment. It feels so surreal.”
Mai Nassar DMD AS 26
Decorated Cap
Mai Nassar is adding a photo to her cap of her parents from her first dental school graduation in Egypt, along with the phrase, “Dad! I did it again. Wish you were here.” The cap decoration is a homage to her father, who passed away in 2020 due to COVID-19 complications.
“He was there for me from the first moment, showing up before everyone, and he was always there for me, my sister, and my family. He will always hold a special place in my heart,” Nassar said. “He believed in me and believed in whatever I wanted to do, whatever I wanted to achieve.”
The photo on her cap has Nassar’s father holding her dental degree from her 2016 commencement, as if to show that her achievement was equally his achievement. Ten years later, Nassar wanted it to feel like he was attending her GSDM commencement and watching over her current accomplishments. She and her mother plan to take pictures with the cap to honor the original photo.
“It’s like he is here with me, and instead of having a picture with him, I will be able to take a picture with my cap in my hands as if he’s here with me,” Nassar said. “I felt like it might be the way of feeling that he is always with me.”
Omar Hilal PROS 26
International Stole
For commencement, Omar Hilal PROS 26, who identifies as both Palestinian and Jordanian, will be wearing a ceremonial stole representing the country flag of Jordan.
He is originally from Palestine but lived in Jordan prior to moving to Boston. He said he wanted to wear an international stole to pay homage to his beginnings and the people who have encouraged him throughout his prosthodontics residency.
“It’s nice to show that I’m celebrating here and I’m representing [my family],” Hilal said. “I’m making them proud, my family, my country, and my friends. It makes me closer to home by wearing it.”
In both Palestine and Jordan, it is common to wear a traditional scarf for major celebrations, weddings, and national holidays. Hilal said commencement is in keeping with this tradition, leading to him ordering a custom-made stole he will be wearing during the momentous occasion.
“Both countries have the same scarf, but in different colors, one is black and one is red,” Hilal said. “I felt like after being three years away from family, from friends… at least I can represent [them] in this way.”
To read our full commencement coverage, please visit our Commencement 2026 page.