{"id":200894,"date":"2019-05-20T11:56:57","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T15:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=200894"},"modified":"2023-07-03T12:04:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T16:04:52","slug":"we-are-all-dreamers-neag-school-celebrates-the-class-of-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2019\/05\/we-are-all-dreamers-neag-school-celebrates-the-class-of-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We Are All Dreamers\u2019: Neag School Celebrates the Class of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commencement Weekend kicked off for the Neag School with a celebration for the graduates of the\u00a0Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program<\/a>\u00a0on Friday, May 10, followed by a\u00a0special pre-ceremony reception<\/a>\u00a0at the Student Union on Saturday, May 11, for all Neag School master\u2019s and sixth-year graduates completing advanced degrees in such disciplines as school psychology, school counseling, school administration, and teacher education. The beautiful weather offered graduates and their guests plenty of opportunities for fun photos with Jonathan the Husky mascot and a chance to connect with their faculty mentors and fellow students.<\/p>\n

On Mother\u2019s Day, Sunday, May 12, 148 undergraduates celebrated their Commencement at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. Associate Professor Alan Marcus served as lead faculty marshal, joining Jonathans XIII and XIV in leading the undergraduate student procession from the Gentry building to Jorgensen during a pause in the day\u2019s rain showers. At Jorgensen, family members and guests watched a livestream of the student procession to the tunes of the \u201cRocky\u201d theme and of \u201cEye of the Tiger.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018We Need Leaders With Courage and Charisma\u2019<\/strong>
\nFeatured as the Neag School keynote Commencement speaker was Karissa Niehoff \u201910 Ed.D., the\u00a0first female executive director<\/a>\u00a0of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which reaches more than 19,000 high schools across the U.S. and 12 million participants in high school activity programs.<\/p>\n

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\"Neag<\/div>
Shanza Hussain, Asfia Qutub, and Anne Denerville (from left), graduates of the IB\/M program, celebrate on Saturday, May 11. (Shawn Kornegay\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"Neag<\/div>
Class of 2019 undergrads leave Gentry on their way to the Commencement ceremony. (Frank Zappulla\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Neag School Class of 2019 undergrads process with Jonathans XIII and XIV to Jorgensen. (Frank Zappulla\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Class of 2019 undergrads, wearing caps with decorations they designed, prepare for their procession to the Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 12, 2019. (Frank Zappulla\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Niehoff is an alumna of the Neag School\u2019s educational leadership doctoral program, a\u00a02016 recipient of the Neag School Alumni Board\u2019s Distinguished Alumna Award<\/a>, and has served as a physical education instructor, athletic director, assistant principal, principal, and as a coach at the high school level for five different sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s terrific that we are honoring both education and sport management graduates at the same time, as I believe academic learning and sports education truly complement one another,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She went on to advise the Class of 2019 to listen to themselves, to continue deepening their education throughout life, and to seek opportunities for leadership. \u201cMore than ever,\u201d she said, \u201cWe need leaders with courage and charisma; leaders who create a culture of growth, engage hearts and minds, capture collective intelligence and talent, and inspire others to shape new pathways toward success.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Jes\u00fas<\/div>
Jes\u00fas Cort\u00e9s-Sanchez \u201918 (ED), \u201919 MA tells the Class of 2019 his personal story. (Frank Zappulla\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Grad students celebrate at the Neag School master\u2019s and 6th-year Commencement reception. (GradImages)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Class of 2019 music ed majors perform at the Undergraduate ceremony. (Roger Castonguay\/Defining Studios)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Alumna Karissa Niehoff \u201910 Ed.D. addresses the Class of 2019 during her keynote. (Roger Castonguay\/Defining Studios)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Check out additional\u00a02019 Neag School Undergraduate Commencement photos<\/a>,\u00a0as well as\u00a0photos from the\u00a0Commencement reception held for the Neag School\u2019s master\u2019s and sixth-year graduates<\/a>, on the\u00a0Neag School Facebook page<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2018We Are All Dreamers\u2019<\/strong>
\nJes\u00fas Cort\u00e9s-Sanchez \u201918 (ED), \u201919 MA<\/a>, who had received his Neag School master\u2019s degree in music education at Gampel Pavilion the previous day, shared his\u00a0powerful personal story as an undocumented student and aspiring music teacher<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to change lives through the gift of music,\u201d he said to cheers from the crowd. \u201cI am not the only Dreamer in this space. The truth is that you and I \u2014\u00a0we are all dreamers, no matter where we come from, or what our legal status, gender, religion, race, or ethnicity may be. We are all dreamers who dream of a better society \u2013 and who have the power with our education to make a huge impact and break down any walls that are put in our way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cort\u00e9s-Sanchez will begin his first year as a music teacher this fall in West Hartford (Conn.) Public Schools.<\/p>\n

Following his address, the Neag School\u2019s Class of 2019 music education majors, who had sung the national anthem at the start of the ceremony, joined him in a moving performance of \u201cA Million Dreams,\u201d complete with acoustic guitars, keyboard, Caj\u00f3n box drum, and ukuleles. Cara Bernard, assistant clinical professor, led the group.<\/p>\n

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\"Neag<\/div>
Neag School grad students get together with Jonathan the Husky for a photo. (GradImages)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Associate Professor Devin Kearns (center) celebrates with master\u2019s candidates. (Shawn Kornegay\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"Family<\/div>
Supporters of one Neag School graduate cheer as the diplomas are delivered at Jorgensen on Sunday, May 12. (GradImages)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"Grad<\/div>
Grad students take a selfie with Jonathan the mascot on Saturday, May 11. (GradImages)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

After Vice Provost for Academic Operations Jeffrey Shoulson conferred the undergraduates\u2019 degrees and the recessional was complete, a reception held afterward at the Student Union offered graduates and their families shelter from the rain, but also a free photo booth, photo ops with Jonathan the Husky mascot, and refreshments.<\/p>\n

Monday evening\u2019s Doctoral Commencement ceremony, also held at Jorgensen,\u00a0featured as its keynote speaker<\/a>\u00a0Sandra Chafouleas<\/a>, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology from the Neag School. A mentor to many graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, an expert in her field, and the co-director of UConn\u2019s\u00a0Collaboratory for School and Child Health<\/a>,\u00a0Chafouleas was recently honored as the recipient of the 2019 Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award<\/a>, which recognizes outstanding leadership and dedication to excellence in mentoring graduate students.<\/p>\n

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