NJCU Lavender Graduation 2024

Ceremony Program

Welcome & Purpose

Venida C. Rodman Jenkins (she/her)

Speicher-Rubin Women’s Center for Equity & Diversity

Introduction of Guest Host

Harmonica Sunbeam

Andrea Squillante-Golden (she/her)

The Center for Career & Professional Development

Greetings

Andrés Acebo (he/him)

NJCU Interim President

Reginald Bledsoe (he/him)

Essex County Office of LGBTQ Affairs

Hudson Pride Center

Musical Tribute

Michael Sims (he/him)

Office of the President

Dance Performance

Qawiyya Haqq (she/her)

Lavender Graduate 2024

Music brought to you by DJ Kaykay47 (she/her)

“The People’s DJ”

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Ceremony Program

Musical Tribute

Hekuran Beluli (he/him)

aka Haven Bell, NJCU Honors Student

Words of Inspiration

Yasmin McDonald (she/her), NJCU Management Associate Professor

Melanie McDonald (she/her), Corporate/Production Catering and Event Director

Recognition of Graduates

Ivelisse Takata (she/her), Office of the President

Pia Stevens (she/her), Dean of Students

Chrystal Mateo (she/her), New Pathways to Teaching, LavGrad ‘19

Nicole Leibowitz (she/her), Graduate Admission

Graduate Reflections

Tekla Tchelidze (she/her), Lavender Graduate 2024

Camila Salomon (she/her), Lavender Graduate 2024

Musical Tribute

Mercy Villa (they/them)

PRIDE Center Program Specialist

Music brought to you by DJ Kaykay47 (she/her)

“The People’s DJ”

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Graduates

Daniel Alexander Jr. BA, Psychology

Minor: Women & Gender Studies he/him, they/them

Patrick Craig BA, History

Minor: Sexuality & Queer Studies they/them

Tekla Tchelidze BS, Biology she/her

Luie Perez

MS, Public Health Education he/him, they/them

Camila Salomon BS, Marketing

Minor: Accounting she/her

Taylor Coriolan she/her, they/them

BA, Women & Gender Studies

Minor: African and AfricanAmerican Studies

Ellie Naeseth BS, Accounting & Finance she/her

Qawiyya Haqq BA, Musical Theatre she/her

Kare Riera BA, Psychology she/her

Amelvis Villafane BA, Psychology

Minor: General Business they/them

Past Lavendar Gradaution Highlights

2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2016 2018 2020 2022

special shout out to THE ALLIANCE Student Organization For sponsoring amazing queer trans - focused events this year !

2023 -2024 Queer Campus Sightings

Movie Screening!

Events to create platforms for traditionally underrepresented voices!

Vision Board Events and Storytelling Events!

Acknowledgements & Gratitude

Co-Sponsors

Margaret Williams Theatre

Council on Hispanic Affairs (CHA)

Center for Leadership and Engagement

LGBTQIA+ Alliance Student Organization (Student Organization)

University Advisement Center (UAC)

Counseling Center

Gothic Knight Ally Safe Zone Program

Speicher-Rubin Women’s Center for Equity and Diversity

Dreamers (Student Organization)

Office of Dean of Students

NJCU Admissions

NJCU Pride Center

Student Activity Board

NJCU Center for Career and Professional Development

The Planning Committee

Yolanda Garzona (she/her), The Speicher-Rubin Women’s Center Coordinator

The Whole Women’s Center Student Staff Team!

Mercy Villa (they/them), PRIDE Center Program Specialist

Chrystal Mateo (she/her), New Pathways to Teaching in NJ

Danielle Bachant (she/her), Counseling Center

Karina Serrano (she/her), Opportunity Scholarship Program

Anna Trachsler (they/them), The Alliance Student Organization

Vivian Hughes (they/them), The Alliance Student Organization

Andrea Squillante-Golden (she/her), Center for Career & Professional Development

Nayomie Serrano (she/her), Department of Public Safety

Strawberry Gallagher (she/her), Educational Partnerships

Nicole Leibowitz (she/her), Graduate Admission

Sandy Checo (she/her), University Advisement Center

With Abundant Appreciation to All!

Venida C. Rodman Jenkins, Safe Zone Coordinator

Acknowledgements & Gratitude

Special Thanks

Ivelisse Cruz (she/her), Office of the President

Victor DelValle (he/him), Center for Leadership and Engagement

Anna Carhart (she/her), Center for the Arts NJCU

Natalie Mendez (she/her), Center for the Arts NJCU

Nayomie Serrano (she/her), Department of Public Safety

Nicole Leibowitz (she/her), Graduate Admission

Marketing and Communications

Gourmet Dining

Housekeeping

With Abundant Appreciation to All!

C. Rodman Jenkins, Safe Zone Coordinator

Venida

Gothic Knight Ally Safe Zone Program & Lavender Graduation

Gothic Knight Ally Safe Zone Program

Founded in December 2012, with the help of FK Consultants, the Gothic Knight Ally Safe Zone (GKASZ) Program is an initiative sponsored by the Speicher-Rubin Women’s Center for Equity & Diversity at New Jersey City University (NJCU). The Program is designed to promote a climate of respect, support and inclusiveness for students, faculty, and staff members who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+), as well as others within the kaleidoscope of sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions.

We are members of the NJCU community – students, staff, and faculty – who have attended a 4-hour interactive training, and have pledged to support an inclusive environment, and oppose all forms of anti- LGBTQIA+ prejudice. We are hundreds strong! All members of the NJCU campus, and the surrounding community, are eligible to attend the GKASZ training and help build a stronger ally campus community. Contact us at njcusafezone@njcu.edu for more information.

Why have a Lavender Graduation?

The queer, transgender and gender nonconforming communities at NJCU have been historically active in demanding to be recognized, and to be seen at our institution. As Gothic Knight Allies, we have pledged to amplify their voices.

Our vision is that Lavender Graduation will continue to be an annual celebration at NJCU and that the lives of our LGBTQIA+ students will be fully honored. Since LGBTQIA+ students are of every race, ability, nationality, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic levels, Lavender Graduation provides a unique opportunity to present a truly multicultural event while acknowledging students who spent most of their college years succumbing to invisibility on our campus.

The Lavender Graduation makes a strong institutional statement to LGBTQIA+ college students: They are seen and they matter.