The South Dakota STAY Grant project aimed to enhance the recognition of graduating ASCE Student Chapter members by providing stoles and graduation chords for use during commencement ceremonies at South Dakota State University and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The project involved a structured timeline from initial planning in August 2017 to completion in October 2017, which included coordination with university leadership, student chapter leadership, and faculty advisors to ensure the availability and proper distribution of the stoles and chords during the ceremonies.%0aThe project successfully fostered connections between the student chapters and graduating seniors, with the stoles serving as a distinguished symbol of achievement. Despite challenges in tracking the return of stoles, the initiative resulted in increased engagement and professional relationships between program coordinators and student leaders, ultimately reinforcing the importance of ASCE membership and community within the engineering field.