The Albanian Student Organization (ASO) sold out their second annual Albanian Independence Day event in Bethany Hall on Friday.
Nancy Kajo, a junior political science major, is the founder and president of ASO, noted that this year’s event differs from last year’s in terms of expansion and mission.
“The big difference from last year is our charity mission,” Kajo said. “Last summer I visited an orphanage in Albania for children and adults with special needs and I immediately thought that with this party, all of the funds will be used to purchase needs that I physically saw they needed. For example, mattresses, bed frames, clothes.”
The charity, Emina’s Hand Foundation, was founded by Emina Cunmulaj Nazarian, an Albanian American model, philanthropist, and Honorary Consul of Albania to Florida.
Born in the U.S. and raised in Montenegro, Nazarian gained international recognition as the first Albanian top model, gracing the covers of Vogue and Elle while working with icons such as Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani.
According to her website, their mission is “to empower disadvantaged communities by providing access to essential resources such as food and shelter. We strive to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those in need and to create a world where all people have the opportunity to thrive.”
Arta Boljevic, a senior biochemistry major and the events coordinator for ASO, referred to Cunmulaj Nazarian as a philanthropist at heart.
“She does so much for our community to help fundraise, so being able to partner with her and donate all the funds from today’s event is so rewarding and benefits so many people,” Boljevic said.
Through scholarships, mentorships, and international opportunities, the foundation helps shape the next generation of leaders.
It was a full circle moment for Kajo as Cunmulaj Nazarian visited SHU to receive a special plaque as a guest of honor.
Kajo also highlighted how the event has grown from last year’s celebration.
“Last year was a little bit on a lower scale,” Kajo said. “This year we raised the prices but still at an amount where it’s reasonable for students to have a lot of fun, food, live music, dancing, and cultural performances.”
Boljevic said that scaling the event up from last year was the most difficult part of throwing the event.
“We’re very fortunate to expand, we have about 300 guests at this event so managing and being more organized helped us to be more successful,” Boljevic said.
Kajo also said that events like this are so rewarding after facing hardships during the planning process.
“The rewarding part is seeing everyone have fun because of us, and what we brought to Seton Hall,” Kajo said.
Kajo said students often say they do not join ASO because they are not Albanian and they feel as though they wouldn’t feel included in the culture, but Kajo says that's completely wrong.
“We have so many students in here today that they’re not Albanian and they learned how to dance, they tried our new foods and they really enjoyed it,” Kajo said.
Bojevic said being part of the organization helps her to feel connected to her heritage.
“I happen to be a child of immigrants, so being a part of this org allows me to connect with my culture, my heritage, and allows me to connect to my roots which I appreciate,” Boljevic said.
While food, dance, and connection were vital to selling this event out, all proceeds were given to Emina’s Hand Foundation to continue supporting those in need.
Keira Bala is the videographer for The Setonian. She can be reached at keira.bala@student.shu.edu.
