{"id":13257,"date":"2026-04-29T15:34:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T19:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/?p=13257"},"modified":"2026-04-29T15:34:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T19:34:41","slug":"faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty, Alumni Recognized at Student-Organized Multicultural Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to Ann Francois \u201826, diversity is what makes Saint Peter\u2019s University great.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis event shows that when we come together, beautiful things happen,\u201d says Francois, a psychology major who serves as the president of RAIIS, an organization that supports immigrant students. \u201cThat is the power of community and unity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The University came alive with culture and creativity on Wednesday, April 22, as students, faculty and community members gathered for UnitedWeFest, a multicultural festival dedicated to celebrating diversity and honoring the contributions of immigrant communities.<\/p>\n

Organized as a \u201cgrowing tradition\u201d on campus, UnitedWeFest brought together clubs, departments and student leaders for an evening of performances, fashion and storytelling that highlighted the many identities that make up the Saint Peter\u2019s community. Through music, art and delicious food, students proudly showcased their cultural heritage, reinforcing the festival\u2019s mission to recognize the role immigrants play in shaping a vibrant and inclusive society.<\/p>\n

A highlight of the evening was the recognition of six individuals whose work reflects a deep commitment to advocacy, education and service. Alumni honorees Lin Walker \u201895 and Catalina Adorno \u201813\u00a0 were celebrated for their impactful work in immigration law and grassroots organizing, respectively, including their continued support of Saint Peter\u2019s students and immigrant communities nationwide. Fellow alumnus Li Adorno \u201817 was also recognized for his leadership and activism in advancing immigrant rights and social justice.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Faculty members were honored for their lasting impact on campus and beyond. Devin Heyward Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology, Urban Studies, and Anthropology, was recognized for her leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as well as her dedication to student engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anna Brown, Ph.D., Chair of the Political Science Department and the Director and Founder of the Social Justice Program<, was celebrated for her advocacy and academic work in social justice and immigrant rights, while Jennifer Ayala Ph.D., professor of Sociology, Urban Studies and Anthropology and Director of Latin American and Latino Studies and The Center for Undocumented Studies, was honored for her longstanding commitment to supporting immigrant students through both academic programs and mentorship.<\/p>\n

The festival also featured a dynamic fashion showcase, with designs by students Charles Oppong \u201928 and Zenab Souare \u201926. Their collections, inspired by their respective countries of Ghana and C\u00f4te d’Ivoire, were met with cheers and applause by friends and classmates.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>More than just an event, UnitedWeFest embodied the spirit of unity at Saint Peter\u2019s University. By creating space for students to share their stories and talents, the festival demonstrated how coming together across cultures can inspire understanding, pride and connection. As the tradition continues to grow, UnitedWeFest stands as a meaningful reminder of the strength found in community and the beauty of shared experiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to Ann Francois \u201826, diversity is what makes Saint Peter\u2019s University great. \u201cThis event shows that when we come together, beautiful things happen,\u201d says Francois, a psychology major who serves as the president of RAIIS, an organization that supports immigrant students. \u201cThat is the power of community and unity.\u201d The University came alive with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1293,"featured_media":13260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3,5,2],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-13257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-current-students","category-faculty-staff","category-future-students","tag-featured"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFaculty, Alumni Recognized at Student-Organized Multicultural Festival - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Saint Peter's University welcomed its largest freshmen class in either years as the 25-26 year kicks off with Mass of the Holy Spirit.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"dbocchino\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"dbocchino\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/e34d0022b2f64ab992c01054c76a4ab2\"},\"headline\":\"Faculty, Alumni Recognized at Student-Organized Multicultural Festival\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-29T19:34:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/\"},\"wordCount\":456,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/230\/files\/2026\/04\/IMG_9078-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Featured\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Current Students\",\"Faculty Staff\",\"Future Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saintpeters.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/29\/faculty-alumni-recognized-at-student-organized-multicultural-festival\/\",\"name\":\"Faculty, Alumni Recognized at Student-Organized Multicultural Festival - 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