THE COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE
TO CELEBRATE 100TH COMMENCEMENT WITH CLASS OF 2007
NEW ROCHELLE, NY, May 4, 2007 – On May 24, The College of New Rochelle (CNR)
will celebrate its 100th Commencement as it graduates the Class of 2007.
The College will award approximately 1,400 baccalaureate and masters degrees
during commencement exercises on Thursday, May 24, 11:00 AM, at Radio City
Music Hall.
"Since CNR was founded in 1904, our graduates have made valuable contributions
throughout all segments of society,” said Stephen J. Sweeny, Ph.D., president
of CNR. “We are confident that this year's graduates will continue
the fine tradition of service, integrity, and faith for which CNR graduates
are known.”
This year’s Commencement Address will be given by Brother Rick Curry,
S.J., Ph.D., Founder & Artistic Director of the National Theatre
Workshop of the Handicapped. The College will confer honorary degrees on
Brother Curry, Pernessa C. Seele, Founder and CEO of The Balm in Gilead,
Inc., and John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO.
BROTHER RICK CURRY, S.J., Ph.D.
Actor, author, teacher and advocate for the disabled, Brother Rick Curry
is the founder and Director of the National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped
(NTWH). Brother Curry, who was born with a physical handicap, studied theater
in New York, but because of his handicap, found it difficult to find work
as an actor. In 1977, he founded NTWH, a non-profit educational, production
and advocacy organization that trains the physically disabled in theater
arts. Since that time, the NTWH has grown into an international institution
with thousands of students and campuses in NYC and Belfast, Maine.
In 1999 he opened the NTWH Belson Bakery, a full service bakery
and training school for persons with disabilities, offering online and mail
service of Brother Curry's Breads. He has been an observer for the National
Theatre of the Deaf, has worked with the BBC in London, toured handicapped
schools in Japan and Israel and participated in programs at Loyola School
in India. Brother Curry is also an accomplished writer and has authored two
books, The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking and The Secrets of Jesuit
Soupmaking.
PERNESSA C. SEELE
Pernessa Seele is founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, Inc., a non-profit,
non-governmental organization that seeks to improve the health status of
people of the African Diaspora by assisting faith communities in addressing
life-threatening diseases, especially HIV/AIDS. The organization has enabled
thousands of churches, both in the US and throughout Africa, to become leaders
in preventing the transmission of HIV through educational programs and compassionate
support of all persons affected by HIV/AIDS and is currently mobilizing faith
communities in Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania.
One of the nation’s most prominent voices on the issues of
HIV/AIDS, Ms. Seele has also conceived and implemented several programs,
including The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, the largest
AIDS awareness program in the United States, targeting the African American
faith community, and engaging nearly 10 million churchgoers since its inception
in 1989.
Pernessa Seele is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards,
including being named one of 100 people “Shaping Our World” by TIME
Magazine and one of “50 Women Shaping the World” by Essence magazine.
JOHN SWEENEY
John J. Sweeney was elected president of the AFL-CIO in October 1995 and
has been re-elected three times since. Born in the Bronx in New York, the
son of Irish immigrants, Mr. Sweeney launched his trade union career with
the Ladies Garment Workers. As SEIU president from 1980–1995, he led the
successful Justice for Janitors campaign and increased SEIU membership from
625,000 to 1.1 million. During that time, Mr. Sweeney initiated the push
for stronger federal laws in the area of health and safety, sexual harassment,
and civil and immigrant rights and advocated for legally-mandated paid family
leave, health care reform and a raise in the minimum wage.
Under his leadership, the AFL-CIO moved far more resources
into the support of national union organizing efforts and dramatically expanded
its program for issues of education and political action. Mr. Sweeney also
led the federation to support legalization for undocumented immigrants and
expanded outreach to and leadership opportunities for women, people of color,
immigrant workers and students. As AFL-CIO president, he established the
union movement’s first accredited National Labor College and spearheaded
the innovative Working America affiliate that now includes more than one
million members.
A nationally acknowledged leader committed to service for
others, economic justice and political reform in the workplace, Mr. Sweeney
has co-authored two books, including America Needs a Raise: Fighting for
Economic Security and Social Justice and Solutions for the New Work
Force: Policies for a New Social Contract.
