The Wait is Over: Multicultural Center Opens
By Loukaia Taylor, '22
The long-awaited Multicultural Center opened its doors on Feb. 22, 2023. The inaugural director of the Center, Jovin Fernandez, has many ideas for the types of programming and services the center will offer and how they will impact ALANA (African-American, Latinx, Asian and Native American) students.
What to Expect at the Multicultural Center
The Multicultural Center is a vibrant hub that welcomes and serves all members of our community, including students, faculty, staff, alums and other campus visitors. The center provides visitors with a home away from home and a source of educational opportunities. In other words, students can expect this space to be one they consider theirs – while also serving the broader Stockton University community.
Every job, almost all volunteer opportunities, internships, and all of the work I have done are always centered around helping to give youths access to education, empowering them to be leaders, and helping them tap into their full [potentials]…I felt that I had a responsibility to give back.”
The center will host programming in its lounge; the programming will come from both the center and the multicultural communities of Stockton, including student organizations, faculty, staff and alumni. Some upcoming programs include Real Talk Tuesday, a series created to give students a brave space to engage in difficult topics, and Soul Food Sundays, a monthly gathering for the Stockton community to enjoy soul food and soul-healing conversations.
Who is Jovin Fernandez?
Jovin Fernandez is a Trenton native, first-generation student and Educational Opportunity Fund alumna. She earned her bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Bloomfield College, her master’s in Organizational Leadership from Rider University and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership from Stockton.
Upcoming Events for March
- "Teaching While Black" Film Screening – March 2, 4:30 p.m.
- Soul Food Sunday – March 5, 4 p.m.
- HER’STORY: A Musical Journey in Hip Hop with Sol Chyld – March 30, 6 p.m.
- Women’s History Month Reception – March 31, 4 p.m.
Fernandez is passionate about youth development, saying in an interview with a student, “Every job, almost all volunteer opportunities, internships, and all of the work I have done is always centered around helping to give youths access to education, empowering them to be leaders, and helping them tap into their full [potentials]…I felt that I had a responsibility to give back.”
She's also passionate about working collaboratively with staff and faculty. Whomever she runs into, she takes the time to listen and get to know them. If they have a problem or concern, she is ready to either find the solution or help find it. And she always ends a conversation by inviting them to the center, which demonstrates the inclusivity that one can expect to see in the Multicultural Center.
Loukaia Taylor is an alumna of the Communication Studies program and member of the Campus Committee on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence.
