Brookdale faculty, staff, administrators and a wide range of community members came together on May 11 to congratulate the nearly 100 Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) students who were set to graduate at the 2016 Commencement Ceremony on May 13.
The graduates, surrounded by a capacity crowd of friends, family and classmates in the Student Life Center, were presented with official certificates and ceremonial EOF sashes to be worn when they stepped to the podium to accept their hard-earned college diploma.
Nearly 40 additional students were recognized by the NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education for their academic achievements.
Brookdale EOF Director and former EOF graduate Richard Morales Wright congratulated the students for completing the program, and for living up to the high standards set by previous generations of EOF graduates.
“Tonight we give applause to our 2015-16 graduates,” said Morales Wright. “The earning of their college degrees at Brookdale is testimony to their hard work and dedication to their educational and career goals. Many have excelled academically, and all have navigated life’s challenges while keeping their eyes on the prize.”
Those sentiments were echoed by a wide range of speakers and ceremony participants, including EOF counselors Fidel Wilson and Torina Armstrong; EOF associate Catherine Cutlip; Brookdale President Dr. Maureen Murphy; Vice President for Learning Dr. Matthew Reed; Vice President for Student Success Dr. David Stout; New Jersey Center for Student Success executive director Dr. Yesenia Madas; and keynote speaker Akeem Lloyd.
Brookdale EOF graduate Unique Jones receives a certificate of recognition from Dr. David Stout on May 11.
An Atlantic City native and graduate of the EOF program at Rutgers University in Camden, Lloyd spoke frankly about his struggles upon first enrolling in college. After earning a 1.4 GPA and nearly failing out after his first semester, Lloyd said he became determined to honor the sacrifices and the trust that had been placed in him by members of his family and his academic supporters.
Like many in the Brookdale EOF program, Lloyd ultimately became the first member of his family to earn a college degree, graduating from Rutgers with a 3.4 GPA. In his address, he spoke to his fellow EOF alumni about the importance of “breaking the cycle,” taking an honest self-inventory and making the most of every opportunity that presents itself.
“For many people, it’s easy to give up. It’s easy to quit,” Lloyd said. “The fact that you all made it to this day speaks volumes to your character. It speaks volumes to your drive, and the passion that you have built in your time here. Your ability to say, ‘I will not be another statistic. I will not be defined by a stereotype.’ So as a alumnus and as a peer, I appreciate you. And I thank you for not giving up.”
Special awards were presented to 11 members of the Brookdale EOF program’s new Rising Leaders Academy, which connects EOF students with local nonprofits, outreach organizations, and community service initiatives to improve campus life and serve local communities.
Each of the students volunteered between 40 and 165 direct service hours this year with organizations like JBJ Soul Kitchen and Habitat for Humanity and completed approximate 60 different projects, including campus outreach events, clothing drives, voter registration drives and more. The student honorees also joined Cutlip to present an EOF Rising Leaders Academy Choice award to representatives from JBJ Soul Kitchen.
Awards were also presented to local EOF Champions, those guidance and personnel staff members at local high schools who help their students take advantage of the Brookdale EOF program. They included representatives from Middletown North High School, Monmouth Regional High School, Neptune High School, Ocean Township High School and Red Bank Regional High School.
Special “On the Horizon” recognition was also given to 16 EOF students who are on the verge of graduation.
The ceremony concluded with a series of moving testimonials from pending graduates Paola Arteago, Donna Accoo and Sari Blasco, each of whom took time out to thank the Brookdale EOF staff for helping them navigate the challenges of college life and achieve their goals.
“Tonight we are here to say thank you to the people who gave us a fighting chance,” said Blasco. “Each of you has helped me immensely throughout my Brookdale career.
“We are also here to celebrate our own accomplishments: our talent, our intelligence, everything that we have strived for for so long,” Blasco added. “If it weren’t for the EOF grant, I would not have been able to make it through. Not a chance. Having classmates and advisors who know what you are going through is so important. And we did it. We didn’t give up. So thank you.”
EOF is a state-sponsored program that currently reaches more than 12,000 educationally and economically disadvantaged college students across New Jersey. More than 400 students were enrolled in the Brookdale EOF program in 2015-16, including more than 100 new students who joined this year.
The students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college, receive a state grant toward tuition and are offered a host of counseling and support services at Brookdale, including the annual “Summer Bridge” program that helps prepare local high school graduates for college life.
For more information about the Brookdale EOF program, click here.
View the full list of 2016 EOF honorees here.
Check out more photos of the Awards Dinner here.