Going out on a Friday night typically isn't as glamorous as an evening at Cipriani on Wall Street. For one night, students traded beat-up sneakers for high heels on a night full of celebration, connection and community.
The Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute (JAULI) hosted its annual Generaciones Gala on Friday in New York City to celebrate 250 years of Latino impact.
Centered on this theme, Lori Tarke, executive director of JAULI, wanted to remind attendees that the Spanish played a role in the American Revolution alongside the French.
“And the impact of Hispanics and Latinos never stopped,” Tarke said. “The story of Latino impact on America is not told as often and it is important that we preserve this history and also look forward to 'the next 250' history makers, which is the theme of next year's gala.”
Welcoming guests ranging from Latino trailblazers to Seton Hall students, the gala fostered connections, not only through SHU, but through a shared appreciation for the Latino community.
Emceed by 1997 Seton Hall alumna and Emmy Award-winning journalist Damaris Diaz, the gala welcomed the entire “familia,” including the institute’s staff,students, sponsors and friends.
Tarke said bringing students together with these distinguished Latino professionals, including award recipients, “demonstrates the impact of the Latino population in America, which brings an undeniable awareness that learning about this community, as well as others, is good for humanity, but it is also smart business.”
Glisel Jiminez, a 1981 alumna and the first Latina State Farm agent in New Jersey, was thrilled to see the community come together to support a “really great cause.”
“I was helped when I went to Seton Hall, and I want to make sure other students also get that help,” Jiminez said. “It's nice to see the Latino community come together to support all the students that could also benefit from what I benefited from.”
For students, seeing successful Latinos across multiple fields receive recognition and give back demonstrates what they, too, can achieve.
“[We] can still be in the same room as other people who are twice as successful in their career,” Yeurys “Junior” Medrano Tatis, a senior psychology major, said.
Genna Nadal, a junior TV production major, said the event affirmed that she belongs in these spaces.
Students pose for photo at the Generaciones Gala | Photo by Lakyn Austin | The Setonian
“It means that I belong…we have come so far, and that our accomplishments are established somewhere, and that we not only can be here, but we can be in greater closeness,” Nadal said.
For some students, attending the gala has opened doors, not only to new connections, but also to professional opportunities. Valentina Restrepo, a junior psychology and political science major, said the welcoming environment makes her feel comfortable “putting herself out there.” That confidence helped her land an internship after attending last year’s gala.
“[The gala] mends together those bridges that we feel when we're scared to approach people in the professional world, and it just gives us such a natural, comfortable type of environment to really put ourselves out there,” Restrepo said. “It also shows how much the school and Lori does for Hispanic students and any other student involved in the institution.”
Another highlight of the night for Medrano Tatis was feeling heard and represented.
“People are coming here to see us and see what we do, and it allows us to show off who we are besides academics,” Medrano Tatis said. “I’m just excited to talk and network.”
Nadal added that she feels represented not only as a Latina, but also as a student, seeing Latinos and alumni honored for their work.
“To see how much my work means to other people and what I do to be seen in and out means a lot to me,” Nadal said.
Other JAULI students echoed these sentiments, including Medrano Tatis and Restrepo, who said they feel motivated by being surrounded by accomplished Latino professionals.
“It definitely motivates me because honestly, growing up as a Latina, I see everybody and all the sacrifices that have been made,” Restrepo said. “It is so inspiring to see how everyone has just picked themselves up off their feet and just done so many great things and achieved so many great things, and it just makes me want to do better.”
For Jiminez, offering knowledge and support to students is “more rewarding than anything else.”
“If you can inspire somebody to do something and pursue their career, that's what it's all about, right?” Jiminez said. “It's not about your own success, but your success is measured by how well you inspire someone else.”
Jiminez’ friend and fellow Pirate Maria Montanes, a 1983 alumna and former SHU Adelante president, said it is “nice to see how much [the Latino representation on campus] has expanded.”
“When we were there, it was a very small Hispanic floor,” Montanes said. “Everything we did, we had to fight for.”
Beyond chatting with esteemed Latino professionals, students also saw several of them honored during the gala’s award ceremony.
To choose the award winners, Tarke said a pool of nominees is collected and then evaluated for their contributions, compassion and impact on not just the community and students, but “the greater good.”
This year’s Esperanza Award, which recognizes honorees that “embody hope, resilience and service to others,” was awarded to the Celia Cruz Foundation. Founded in memory of the Cuban-American “Queen of Salsa,” the foundation was recognized for its scholarship support, student investment, support for children and “strengthening [of] communities through education, healthcare, business, and opportunity,” according to JAULI’s gala announcement.
Alexis Rodriguez-Duarte and Tico Torres, an Emmy-winning couple who served as Cruz’s photographers for 15 years, emphasized in an interview with The Setonian just how much compassion the late singer truly embodied.
Rodriguez-Duarte and Torres also stressed the importance of giving Latino students and the broader community a space to connect, calling such opportunities “vital.”
“It's really important for everyone to realize how much Latino culture has influenced this country,” Torres said. “That's one thing Celia always did. She brought everybody together…she’s transgenerational.”
Torres highlighted Cruz’s character, which distinguished her not only as a great musician, but a great woman.
“Not a lot of people know this, but she was one of the first Latinas to get involved when AIDS was around and they needed to do fundraising,” Torres said. “There was Celia Cruz doing it first, and she went and performed various concerts just to raise funds.”
Cruz’s image alone has had an immense impact on the nation through something most Americans carry in their pockets or purse on a daily basis.
“Have you seen the quarter?” Torres asked. “The quarter is based on a picture we did of Celia. And when we did the picture, we were not aware that it was going to have the impact that it did, but her energy has carried through the image.”
“I’m very proud of that,” Rodriguez-Duarte added. “Our portrait is at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian.”
Described by Diaz as a “power couple,” Alumni Impact Award recipients Gregory “Goyo” Schipilliti and Gema Schipilliti have built successful careers since graduating from SHU, exemplifying Latino success in their respective fields.
As customer vice president at The Campbell’s Company, G. Schipilliti, a ’13 alumna, has forged her own path as a former JAULI student. Similarly, her husband, Gr. Schipilliti, a ’19 alum, is now the international director of emerging partnerships at DailyPay.
Through their professional accomplishments and continued involvement, the couple demonstrates what success can look like for current JAULI students while emphasizing the importance of giving back.
Other award recipients include Goya Foods, which received the Viva Award and Ivan Tornos, who received the Mango Award. Tarke described Tornos as a “wonderful leader to honor and make a role model for our students.”
“Ivan Tornos, for example, is one of [The Wall Street Journal]’s top CEOs of the world this year,” Tarke said. “His leadership has impacted society on every level, and I have personally seen him speak at venues where compassion is his compass.”
Tarke recalled a humorous exchange that took place when JAULI asked Tornos to join its advisory council.
“Dear Ivan, I have an open seat on the Advisory Council, and I am looking for a Spaniard who specializes in body parts, loves robots and is best friends with the Terminator to fill it,” Tarke recalled. “Do you know where I can find such a man?”
And, to make it all the more amusing, Tarke said his reply was two simple words: “I’m in.”
“I am still lifting my jaw because never in the history of Unanue has a Fortune 500 CEO come on board and now we have Campbell's represented too,” Tarke said. “So watch out because if you get one of these awards there is a chance that somewhere down the line, you may be asked to serve our students.”
Lakyn Austin is the Managing Editor of The Setonian. She can be reached at lakyn.austin@student.shu.edu.
