Snapshots
Here are photo highlights from recent University activities. Follow Stockton on social
media to see more photos from recent events and check out our Flickr albums .
Erin Gruwell, the founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation, visited Stockton on April
24 to learn more about the School of Education, meet with students in the Education program and tour
the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center. Gruwell spoke about her experiences teaching high-risk students in southern California
and the importance of breaking down barriers and finding understanding when teaching.
Gruwell was particularly interested in the initiatives that the School of Education
has hosted to foster more diversity in teaching and education, including 2023’s Future Teachers of Color Conference . Gruwell looks forward to supporting the next generation of teachers and educators
in “writing what needs to be written,” as she and her students did in the 1990s.
Stockton’s Multicultural Center celebrated its first birthday with decorations, a photo booth, cake and toasts to the future. Student employees
spoke about their experiences in the Center and how the space has provided a home
to students to safely express themselves and meet new people. “Working here opened up some other opportunities for me, like being featured on the
Stockton website, connecting with prospective students and their families to help
them learn how great Stockton is and leading the Friday Fun Nights here at the center.
I firmly believe that the Multicultural Center is the heart of Stockton,” said Shavie “Va” Lee , a sophomore in the Psychology program. The birthday bash included performances by The Crew, the Pilipino-American Students
Association of Stockton (PASAS), the Indian Student Association, and student Imani Turner .
Did you know that the Pan-African flag was the first flag of cultural heritage to
be permanently displayed in the Arts & Sciences Circle at Stockton University? According to Haashim Smith-Johnson , an Admissions recruiter and former president of the Unified Black Student Society,
the idea of having the flag raised for more than the month of February came out of
the organization’s desire to make a statement on campus in 2017. He encouraged students
to honor the organization’s legacy through decisive action when thinking of ways to
make Stockton an inclusive campus for everyone. “This one thought turned into action, which turned into Black Stockton history,” Smith-Johnson,
who is currently staff advisor for UBSS, said. “Student leaders of UBSS and all of
the other adjacent student organizations: no idea is outlandish. Please continue to
represent the culture and advocate for yourself. Your future self, as well as future
generations of marginalized Stockton students, will absolutely thank you.” The Pan-African flag was raised in front of the Arts & Sciences Building to kick off Black History Month on Thursday,
Feb. 1.
Employers came, ready and eager to meet Stockton University students and find new
members of their teams, while students dressed to impress, resumes in hand, at the
annual Career and Internship Fair on March 5. The fair surpassed its goal of serving over 600 students and hosting
over 100 employers in the Sports Center. “A lot of them are offering full-time positions, manager positions, supervisor positions
– all things that I'm interested in getting to learn more about,” said Melanie Olivia , of Colonia. “I got a lot of contact information, and I'm looking forward to hearing
from these companies or reaching out to them and checking out their websites to see
what positions they have available.”
The inaugural OSPREY Awards, held on May 2, honored faculty and staff for their positive
impact on Stockton University's campus. The ceremony was held before the annual Employee Recognition Day in the Sports Center. Honors
included the Top OSPREY Award, Change Agent Award, Community Engagement Award, Unsung
Hero Award, Innovation Award, Pride of Stockton Award, and 'Consider it Done' Administrative
Professional Award. Here, Demetrios Roubos and Jessica Cruz-Irwin hold signs celebrating Patty Weeks for reaching her 50-year milestone of service to the University.
The research of 131 Stockton University students from 10 different graduate school
programs was celebrated on April 22 at the annual spring Graduate Research Symposium
in the Campus Center Event Room. The symposium featured 47 presentations from various degree programs ranging from
more science-based such as Doctor of Physical Therapy to the arts and humanities such
as the master’s programs in American Studies and Holocaust and Genocide Studies. “Designing and conducting research can be a challenging and rewarding part of this
academic journey and tonight signifies the culmination of each person’s thesis or
other capstone experience,” said Robert Gregg , the dean of the William T. Daly School of General Studies and Graduate Education.
“We celebrate the diversity and innovativeness of the research presented this evening
and promote interdisciplinary research conversations among the campus community.”