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Bethlehem, Pa., May 6, 2016—̽������ College will hold a special graduation ceremony to celebrate and embrace its students who represent diverse backgrounds and experiences.  Family and friends will join with the campus community on Saturday, May 7^th at 1:30 p.m. in Prosser Auditorium, Haupert Union Building.

The program begins with a welcome by Chaplain Jennika Borger ’98, ’01.  Nicole Loyd, vice president for student affairs and dean of students will then present “Why This Matters,”  and G. Christopher  Hunt, associate dean of students and director of Intercultural Advancement & Global Inclusion, will share “Words of Wisdom for the Graduates.” There will be a performance by student Tanisha Pierre ’19. 

Liliana Madrid, assistant director of Intercultural Advancement, will translate a dedication of sashes/stoles in Spanish. An Arabic translation will be shared by Rubie Ghazal, coordinator of Global Inclusion. There will be a formal presentation ofsashes/stoles, and the program will conclude with a blessing by Rev. Borger.

Students participating in the ceremony include:Angelica G Ocasio, Ashley Liriano, Chernoh U. Shaw, Christelle Reglas, Diana Dominguez, Faisal Alruwaite, Hamad Alhumai, Janine M. Boye, Jessica Reyes, Juliana Bolivar, Kimberly I. Placencia, Kristoff St John Riley, Kush Solanki, Nilvia I. Vazquez, Shannon Martin, and Sidra b. Naqui.

“The Intercultural Graduation Ceremony and Reception recognizes and acknowledges the unique and diverse heritage that our students and their loved-ones have brought to our campus,” said Dean Loyd. “It is difficult to adequately describe the profound influence that these individuals have had on the Class of 2016. We are proud to have gotten to know each of them over the last several years; they represent the reason we, and other faculty and staff, come to work each day with joy and enthusiasm.“

“The graduates bring completeness to the Class of 2016 and are the true essence of our institution’s founding principles,” said Dean Hunt. “We are honored to share in this momentous day on May 7,and share this celebration with our students’ families and loved-ones.”

“We will celebrate the many cultures within the ̽������ College community. This day is an opportunity for our graduates to reflect that their accomplishments are shared with all those who pushed, loved, and supported them behind the scenes” said Liliana  Madrid. “Our ultimate goal through this event is to leave a legacy of empowerment, to honor the family we have created at ̽������, and the families that have been a part of each student’s story.”