Celebrating Scottish Pride
Take a virtual trip to the Highlands with our °®¶¹´«Ã½ÊÓƵ tartan, designed by Carolyn Stewart ’17.
05/11/2020 1:06 AM
April 6 was National Tartan Day. Established by the U.S. Senate in 1998, the day honors the contributions of Scottish Americans.
°®¶¹´«Ã½ÊÓƵ has an official tartan, thanks to a 2015 contest sponsored by the College of Education and Health Sciences. Hospitality leadership major Carolyn Stewart ’17, who designed the winning pattern, is now a special event coordinator at Tasty Catering in Elk Grove Village, Ill. She said winning the contest is still a point of pride — and yes, she put it on her resume.
“There were so many details put into the design. It may just look like a pattern with our school colors, but every thread count and color have significance to °®¶¹´«Ã½ÊÓƵ’s history,” Stewart said. “My family is Scottish, and we take a lot of pride in our Stewart family tartan. To have my own design registered in the Scottish Register of Tartans is thrilling.”
Not surprisingly, Stewart owns several items featuring the °®¶¹´«Ã½ÊÓƵ tartan. “The scarf and the coasters are my favorite,” she said. Licensed through Collegiate Tartan Apparel, items featuring the university tartan are available at the °®¶¹´«Ã½ÊÓƵ Bookstore.