COMMENCEMENT 2020/2021 MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey Thursday, May 27 RING LIV WE ES O F P O M R E YEARS! Established 1931 COMMENCEMENT 2020 & 2021 MASTER OF CEREMONIES Marsha Pollard, Ph.D., Provost THE NATIONAL ANTHEM “The Star-Spangled Banner” ........................ Kelly Julien, Class of 2019, New York City INVOCATION Mitchell Serels, Ph.D., Faculty WELCOME Michael J. Smith, President REMARKS Kevin L. Luing, Chairman of the Board FACULTY SPEAKER Jason Gulya, Ph.D. ALUMNI OF THE YEAR AWARD Presented by Michael Iris, Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations and Career Services Maurice K. Barrett, Class of 2012 1 COMMENCEMENT 2020 & 2021 THE OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD Presented by Dallas Reed, Ph.D., Vice President, Student Development and Campus Life Panagiota Babadelis, Class of 2021, Woodland Park STUDENT SPEAKER Naomi L. Dunston, Class of 2021, New York City PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES FOR GRADUATION Marsha Pollard, Ph.D. CONFERRAL OF DEGREES Michael J. Smith CLOSING REMARKS Michael J. Smith RECESSIONAL Follow the excitement of graduation day on social media! Tweet and Instagram @BerkeleyCollege #BerkeleyGrad2021 to see your posts on the MetLife Stadium big screens. Also post your grad photos on Instagram and tag @BerkeleyCollege #BerkeleyGrad2021 2 MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL J. SMITH Dear Graduates, On behalf of all of us at Berkeley College – congratulations! You have reached a major milestone in your education. Though you may think you have reached the end of the journey, today marks the beginning of the next phase of your lives as graduates of Berkeley College. Look at this remarkable achievement as the culmination of your hard work and grit. I fully expect you to continue to invest in yourself and grow in every dimension of your lives as lifelong learners. As Berkeley College celebrates its 90th anniversary this year of empowering students to achieve lifelong success in dynamic careers, you are now an important part of that historic legacy. What does it mean to be a Berkeley College graduate? It means you join a distinct group of more than 60,000 alumni who are excelling in their careers and making a difference in their communities. It means you have an education that allows you to bring a diverse perspective and innovative solutions to the workplace. It means using your many talents to build a more prosperous society. The educational achievement that we are gathering to recognize today lets everyone know that you have the tools in your possession to be the leaders who can make those changes happen. As you look toward your future, believe in yourself. Be true to your dreams and intentional in your decisions. And be confident in your education and the degree or certificate you have earned from Berkeley College. All of us at Berkeley are proud to have grown with you along this journey. We are truly looking forward to hearing the stories of your continued success as you progress toward the goals we know you will achieve. Michael J. Smith President of Berkeley College 3 FACULTY SPEAKER Jason Gulya is an English Professor at Berkeley College. He has been teaching at the college level for about 10 years. Before coming to Berkeley College 3 years ago, he taught at various NJ colleges. As a professor, he believes in student choice and in the importance of critical thinking, since these skills lay the foundation for being an employee and even an entrepreneur. He teaches anything related to writing, literature, and the humanities more generally, and is also a proud member of the Honors Program. At Berkeley, he even teaches courses on the art of film and the graphic novel. As a scholar, he has published on topics as varied as video games, movies, the importance of grammar, and 18th-century literature. He thinks the world (and the stories in it) are often more complex than we imagine at first. In 2020, he received Berkeley College’s Faculty of the Year Award for Teaching Excellence. ALUMNI OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENT Maurice K. Barrett, a 2012 International Business graduate from the Woodland Park NJ campus, is an inspiration for many reasons. Mr. Barrett spent most of his youth in Paterson NJ, as one of four siblings raised by a single working mother. Not only did the multiple jobs his mother worked afford him the opportunity to attend parochial school, specifically St Catherine’s in Glen Rock, but he was fortunate enough to continue on at Don Bosco, a private Catholic School, in Ramsey, NJ. After his time at Berkeley College, Maurice earned his Master’s in Human Resources Management from New York University. His interest in the field only increased with varied positions within corporate America, as well as his previous experience with City Harvest in New York City. Maurice currently works as a Senior Human Resources Director at the Newark Museum, and as the Daily Record (Morristown, July2, 2020) states, “fresh suits, fresh perspectives: Newark Museum of Art’s HR director brings energy despite pandemic”. But Maurice’s impact and inspiration to others, doesn’t end with that message alone. Maurice explains that while growing up, the power often went out, and his family had periods of homelessness. Maurice’s mother kept his focus on education and the eye on the bigger picture. Now, Maurice states, “In order to disarm the skin color I cannot remove, I put a suit on”. Yes, Maurice has made an impact with his ‘sharp suits’, but more-so by the man he is, and his messages of optimism and hope. In addition to this, Maurice also founded the non-profit Garden State Glory softball program in 2013, with the mission of empowering young women to mature mentally, and emotionally by creating an environment of ‘no ceilings’. The overall goal of this program is to prepare these young women for the rigors of young adult life, and while doing so, grow their self-esteem and raise their overall confidence level. Maurice and his wife are raising their three daughters in Oak Ridge, New Jersey, where their young family is also becoming acutely aware of societal inequities. Maurice Barrett is an inspiration for all of us, his family at home, and his family at Berkeley College. We wish him congratulations and continued success. 4 OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENT Panagiota Babadelis is a Master of Business Administration Candidate expecting to graduate in April 2023. She recently completed her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a focus in Marketing Communications, at the Berkeley College Larry L. Luing School of Business®. Ms. Babadelis is a member of the following National Honor Societies: Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Sigma Lambda, Mu Kappa Tau National Marketing Honor Society, and the National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi. She founded the Volunteer Leadership Program at Berkeley College in 2018, connecting students to community service opportunities and opportunities to market and manage campus events. Dedicated to a path that applies her passion, skills, and talent in the fields of music and entertainment, she has over ten years of experience that comprises artist development, management, marketing, public relations, radio production and songwriting. Ms. Babadelis has worked with award-winning artists, producers, and composers from all over the world. Highlights of her career include attendance at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, MTV’s Music Video Awards, and working with performers at various arenas, including the Madison Square Garden. She is currently a Teacher’s Assistant for the Berkeley College Honors Program and works in the Berkeley College Office of Government Relations. Outside of Berkeley, she continues to work in the realm of entertainment via her artist development company. STUDENT SPEAKER Naomi’s high spirit, ambitious attitude and strong leadership presence is the result of the can-do attitudes her parents exhibited throughout her childhood. Her mother’s love of learning in conjunction with her gift of gab and father’s visionary leadership style and sound mind influenced an understanding of working with the intent of positively impacting the lives of others. Her Berkeley College story began in 2017 when she unknowingly met the first woman who played an integral role throughout her college career, Ms. Iessa Sutton. Ms. Suttton’s whimsical sense of humor and college stories were proof that the road to success is not linear but a series of events filled with lessons on how to become the best versions of ourselves, despite life’s obstacles. Advocacy became the vehicle on the road towards success. Naomi’s early college career began with speaking to teenagers and young adults on college campuses about sexual assault and intimate partner abuse prevention, the importance of self-awareness and the practice of fostering healthy relationships. Today, she uses her voice to advocate on behalf of diversity, equity, inclusion and access and women’s entrepreneurship. As a student council leader and Spokesperson for the Association of Proprietary Colleges, she advocates for and speaks to lawmakers about the improvement of financial aid programs, such as Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Earlier this year, in 2021, she was featured on Spectrum News/NY 1 to share her thoughts on the recent TAP increase for New York State students. As a part-time student and B.B.A candidate, she consistently made the Dean’s List and was inducted into The National Society of Leadership and Success. She wore many hats before receiving her Executive Leadership Certification, a scholarship award and serving as Student President on the Executive Board of the NSLS. Between 2019 and 2020, she revived and branded the Midtown, New York campus fashion club as Fashion Cords, appointed her peers into leadership roles and bridged the cultural gap among local, international and veteran students through their love of fashion.