gaby pacheco delivers keynote address at
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NEW YORK (May 22, 2015) – Nationally recognized leader of the immigrant rights movement, Gaby Pacheco, delivered the keynote address at The New School’s 79th commencement exercises on Friday, May 22 at the Jacob J. Javits Convention Center. President David E. Van Zandt presided over the ceremony. Standing before a crowd of more than 6,000 university graduates, their families and faculty members, Pacheco, one of the country’s most passionate voices for immigration reform, said, “today, your life wings are being unveiled.” “Those wings will take you wherever you want,” added Pacheco, a founder of Students Working for Equal Rights, a Florida immigrant youth network. “They say the flapping of the wings of a butterfly can create an agitation in the atmosphere that can be felt across the ocean, and I believe your wings have this kind of power. You have so much power.” She spoke from experience. An undocumented immigrant, Pacheco came to national attention five years ago when she helped lead the four-month national “Trail of Dreams” campaign, walking from Miami to Washington, DC to call attention to the plight of immigrant families threatened by deportation and to urge President Obama to end deportations, particularly of DREAM Act–eligible youth. Recalling her childhood—she was born to Ecuadorian immigrants and relocated to the United States when she was eight—Pacheco said that though “It was all by accident that I am here, it is not by accident that I stand before you.” “We all have a choice by what people will know us by and what we are going to do for ourselves our families and community,” she continued. “We all have a choice of what our legacies will be. And while the country’s laws only gave me the choice to live in the shadows, keep my head down, and be scared, I chose to stand up for my and other peoples’ dreams. And it was in a college institution, Miami Dade College, where I learned to open my wings and fly fearlessly through my life.” Pacheco added, “Make the world yours. Go and set your legacy. Go and do good in this world. Fly.” In his introductory remarks, New School President David Van Zandt praised Pacheco, “whose courage to effect immigration reform is an inspiration to all of us,” and congratulated university graduates on their “amazing achievement.” “You are part of an impressive group of creative thinkers and doers who chose to be different and make a difference,” Van Zandt said. “You brought your great talent and desire to innovate to The New School because you wanted to be part of a different academic community, where it is not only OK to challenge the status quo—it is expected. It is not enough to learn about the world, you must change it and make it a better place.” At the ceremony, honorary degrees were granted to distinguished guests Jonathan Rose, a business, public policy, and not-for-profit leader dedicated to fostering environmental, social and economic resilience in cities; and Cassandra Wilson, a Grammy Award-winning jazz musician, vocalist, and songwriter. The Class of 2015 is made up of 3,467 associates, bachelors, masters and doctoral graduates in art and design, the social sciences, the humanities, management, and the performing arts. This is the first graduating class for many new academic programs, including MA in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism, BA in Media Studies, BA and BS in Food Studies, BA in Journalism and Design, BA in Sociology, BA in Screen Studies, BFA in Art, Media and Technology and MA in History of Design and Curatorial Studies. |
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Founded in 1919, The New School was born out of principles of academic freedom, tolerance, and experimentation. Committed to social engagement, The New School today remains in the vanguard of innovation in higher education, with more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students challenging the status quo in design and the social sciences, liberal arts, management, the arts, and media. The New School welcomes thousands of adult learners annually for continuing education courses and calendar of lectures, screenings, readings, and concerts. Through its online learning portals, research institutes, and international partnerships, The New School maintains a global presence. Learn more at www.newschool.edu. |
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