By Carletta Joy Walker
Manhattan Library and Learning Resources
June 17th, 2011 marked the thirty-fifth commencement exercise for Boricua College. Another year of commemorating and celebrating the women and men passing through the campuses to receive recognition for their achievements. Associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees were ceremoniously conferred upon the classes of 2011 after which each graduate's name rang through St. Bartholomew's Church as they walked up and across the stage to receive their piece of paper, their handshakes, broad smiles and hugs.
September 2011 welcomes the new and the continuing students in their march toward commencement. Perseverance and Education: Pillars of Democracy, an accurate theme for this year's graduation, as it would be for any previous or future year. The descriptive I would confer to accompany that solemn intonation is jubilant, because there was indeed much triumph and delight walking with the consistency and discipline required of each individual to achieve their goal. Family, friends, faculty, administration and all staff being ingredients in the triumph and sharing in the delight of another year of obvious success.
The delight at times barely containable, as smiles percolated into wide grins and gestures expressing the happiness felt at the completion of this milestone in the journey. A solid core of the graduating class are people familiar with journeying, college coming while already working, and after one or two or three or more children now reached an age that allows for school. Some of these students come as part of a progression, a rotation—first one spouse/partner then the other.
And the younger graduates a mix of those beginning to uphold a tradition, they being the children of graduates—what a smile that is—as well as other students of the Puerto Rican/ Borinqueños dispersion, the Spanish speaking students from the Americas and also in the mix African American, African immigrants, Whites and Asian immigrants recognizing and wanting the tradition of learning that is the "Boricua system of instruction, based on a fundamental humanistic principle of educating the whole person to become self-motivated, independent, life-long learner, with awareness and commitment to maintain a healthy symbiotic relationship with their environment."
Jubilance come with the grand story and with the personal stories contained within the class. Jubilance, pride and triumph to Pomp & Circumstance as the Academic Procession begins with President Alicea in full intellectual, physical and Boricua College historical splendor leading the procession of trustees, vice presidents, faculty, administration and graduates in this pinnacle cyclical event representing Boricua College achievement .
Tone set, an unfolding of choral excellence, keynote exuberance, professional recognition inspiration, academic award honoring, presentations and farewell from student continuing to carry the baton follows. Within the many special honors bestowed, the remembrance of Jose "Pepe" Morales, Jr., former Chairperson, Board of Trustees, with the In Memoriam: Lifetime Achievement Award holds particular poignancy. His wife of fifty year accepts this lifetime honor …
Consistent with the founding Borinquen values, the overriding message of the president, honored guests and students is one of conscious learning, community well-being, service, active citizenship and participation. A humbling message needing to be appropriated by those local and national companies and politicians infested with greed and fear. And, a fitting launch, aspiring to provide inspiration to the graduates in their next steps, as well as to the academic procession and other staff working tired and tirelessly in support of a community and a vision rather than the highest pay or greatest individual accolades.
La lucha continúa, pero la felicidad está aquí. Welcome.
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