SMART held their 15th Annual Graduation on Wednesday, June 26th at the James Weldon Johnson Community Center. It was a wonderful day celebrating the achievements of the women and the many exciting events at SMART over the past year.
A big congratulations goes out to the women who earned a SMART University Completion and to
our Valedictorian and Salutatorian. We also recognized an amazing woman with our Diva Award and 3 brilliant researchers – Ann-Gel Palermo, Monica Rivera Mindt (center) and Janice Scobie – received the
SMART Lifetime Achievement Award. Please visit the
SMART website for more information.
A Beautiful Day
Every year it seems each graduation is a better one than the last! This year, our 15th annual graduation, seemed to be that one that will stay in our minds and hearts for years to come. Indeed, the event echoed another year of transformation for all of us at SMART: From the space at the James Weldon Johnson Community Center in East Harlem being transformed into an elegant dining hall; to our advanced cooking class learning to create, from beginning to end, a spectacular banquet; and most importantly, our women who were honored for their participation and dedication who are agents of change in their lives and for others.
Weeks before, the planning and staging of the event began when Sam Clare started working with our advanced cooking class to design the menu for the day’s festivities. As a result, this special day came together with exquisite taste and beauty that showcased the talents of our SMART Body women. The majestic purple table décor were accented with orchids of the same color and served another purpose post-event: They were given as tokens of appreciation to 10 extraordinary women who volunteered invaluable time and energy to SMART to bring us to another successful year.
What is a “SMART Graduation”? This is something we are asked every year since our women are welcome to stay with SMART as long as they want. A “SMART Graduation” is a profound and unique experience. We celebrate, recognize and honor the women and their accomplishments throughout the academic year. This year, Janet Carter and Dina Bolshinsky painstakingly went through the attendance books so that each woman was counted for her effort because each one has a different story to tell. Some women have participated in SMART since it was founded in 1998, and some women started during the Spring 2013 session, but individually gained something of value from SMART.
Our resident "M.C.," Gloria Searson, gave each woman the personal touch as she called the names of the ones who earned a SMART University Completion and then those who received the special awards of Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and Honor Roll. The Diva Award was presented to an incredible SMART Woman who has shown the most growth and “personality” this past year.
Since 2008, we began to recognize and show appreciation to the people who have volunteered in exceptional ways at SMART, as well as in the community, with our SMART’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This year, we bestowed this honor to 3 brilliant researchers – Ann-Gel Palermo, Monica Rivera Mindt and Janice Scobie -- who have worked with us diligently over the past year to put SMART on the road to being research-ready.
Amidst the laughter were the tears shed at the tribute for our beloved John Falkenberg, our long-time champion and advisory board member and now our everlasting guardian angel. A close friend of his, Nancy, spoke eloquently of his brilliance, generosity, passion and dedication to SMART. One of our SMART women was moved to read a poem she wrote in his honor. The beautiful rendition of “You’re the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me,” sung by the gifted songstress, Michele Sweeting-Decaro, was the touching close to a very tearful and emotional part of the program.
The "pièce de résistance" came after the ceremony when everyone was able to sit at the magnificently set tables and share the vast array of culinary delights -- a labor of love finely executed to the most minute detail by our SMART Body women and Sam. “I am so proud of all the women. Their hard work really was showcased in the food and in the transformation of a basketball court into an elegant, sophisticated banquet,” said Sam.
This unique celebration was the culmination of many things -- staff and SMART women working together to create the most special day of the year for us to share with friends, family and the community. Even our SMART youth lent a hand, serving the food, cleaning up and assisting with the awards. It was a beautiful day that, when witnessed by our guests, provided a small glimpse into the miracles that have happened over the past year at SMART.
Photographs courtesy of M.Saidia Mclaughlin
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