Paul Robeson Cultural Center Hosts ‘Rites of Passage’ Ceremony

More than 100 undergraduate and graduate students, primarily of the African-American and Latin-American heritages, will gather to share their collective experiences at Rutgers and celebrate their achievements. Family, friends and supporters of the students are invited to attend.

Program participants include:

• Leonard Bethel, acting chair of Africana studies
• Jolie A. Cizewski, acting dean of the Graduate School-New Brunswick
• Juanita Jones Daly, founder of the “Rites of Passage” ceremony, executive director of operations at Agape Family Worship Center and executive director at Impact 21 Community Development Corp., both in Rahway
• Richard De Lisi, dean of the Graduate School of Education
• Carlos Fernandez, director of the Center for Latino Arts and Culture
• Prosper Godonoo, director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center
• Delia Pitts, assistant vice president for student affairs

Monday, May 19, 2008, at 4:30 p.m.

Kirkpatrick Chapel, 81 Somerset Street, New Brunswick at Old Queen’s campus.

The first “Rites of Passage” ceremony at Rutgers began in 1993 as the “Black and Latino Commencement Celebration.”  The ritual was started by industrial engineering student Juanita Jones Daly, “I was compelled to provide an opportunity for black and Latino students to celebrate their academic achievements,” Jones Daly explained, ”in spite of the overwhelming drop-out statistics that suggested we would fail.”

Now, 15 years later, Jones Daly hopes to impart to graduates the importance of knowing their purpose in life and embracing change, “I always knew I wanted to be in a leadership role and work to encourage people; however as a young graduate, I never thought I would be working for a church full time. Yet, I’m ridiculously happy.”