Jeremiah Williams ‘23 has always been a talker. From his high school debate team to addressing the United Nations First Committee, Jeremiah recognizes the power of speaking up when it counts.
Jeremiah Williams ‘23 has always been a talker. Born in New Orleans and raised in the suburbs of Houston, Jeremiah has honed his skills as a public speaker right here in New York City, where he’s studying political science and communication studies. “I realized at a young age that I was speaking up about things, challenging teachers when something didn’t make sense,” he recalls. “And that a lot of people weren’t comfortable or able to do that.”
While in high school, Jeremiah traveled the country as part of the speech and debate teams, but eventually his public speaking journey brought him to Pace’s New York City Campus. His decision to come to Pace opened a door to a truly incredible opportunity: taking the podium to address one of the largest international groups in the world.
This fall, Jeremiah was selected as a youth speaker on behalf of Pace and the University’s Peace and Justice Studies Department to give a life-altering statement to the United Nations First Committee. He seized the moment to discuss youth engagement and peace, disarmament, and non-proliferation education. It takes courage to find yourself speaking in front of so many countries and non-political organizations, and Jeremiah had no lack of courage when his moment came. A voice for his peers, Jeremiah recognizes the power of speaking up when it counts.
“Sometimes we’re afraid to recognize the power of our voice, but I know the power of mine,” says Jeremiah. “And when it’s on behalf of a cause that’s important to me or a group of people that need to feel heard, I am more than comfortable using my voice for them. My voice isn’t just mine.”
Today, Jeremiah is trying to keep up with the opportunities in his path following his speech to the UN. He was recently invited to speak in a room filled with ambassadors and Heads of State, a place he wouldn’t have dreamed of being at such a young age: “I had never thought I’d be speaking to ambassadors at twenty—I’m still trying to figure out what subway line to take,” he laughs.
“Sometimes we’re afraid to recognize the power of our voice, but I know the power of mine,” says Jeremiah.
Along with pursuing these new experiences, Jeremiah is also the founding president of Pace’s debate club. His goal is to give people the tools to speak confidently and passionately about matters that they care about. “You see a problem or an issue and you’re surrounded by all of this noise, all of this news, but can you do anything about it? For me, I’ve always innately thought ‘yes’. A lot of people need to be shown that they’re voices are powerful or given the tools to make them feel powerful,” he says.
Jeremiah hopes to help prepare young public speakers for the moments when the spotlight is suddenly on; the moments in which they will need to use their voice when they might not be expecting to do so. This is a challenge Jeremiah is quite excited to take head-on.
“Life’s crazy, and the moments come when you’re not expecting them. Yet, here they are. People need to feel confident and powerful enough to know that their voice matters.”
For 12 years, Pace has been supporting neurodiverse students and students on the autism spectrum through its Ongoing Academic Social Instructional Support (OASIS) program. This year, through initiatives from the President and Provost’s offices, OASIS has expanded its services to the Pace Community in Westchester.
School of Education student Guadalupe Ceja ’23 hasn’t officially started teaching yet, but her own experiences in the classroom and her recent New York State scholarship win are putting her at the head of the class.
Marine Corps veteran Sukh Singh ’21 is passionate about advocacy and service. Through his work with the Student Veterans Association and Alpha Phi Delta, he hopes to one day become an educator just like the ones who inspired him.
Know of someone who embodies the spirit of Pace? Has a can-do attitude and gives back to their community through volunteerism and advocacy work? If so, we want to hear from you! Nominations for the 2022 Opportunitas in Action Award are due December 3.
As the excitement for Commencement 2022 builds, we're asking all members of the Pace Community to consider, who embodies the Pace spirit and might be worthy of the 2022 Opportunitas in Action Award.
Nominations are open and the deadline to submit your nominee is Friday, December 3. Submit your nomination today.
The Opportunitas in Action Award was created in 2019 and is bestowed by the President of Pace University. This award recognizes an alumna, faculty, staff, current student, business or community volunteer or activist who has been an innovative thinker and has made positive contributions to the community in the spirit of the University's motto Opportunitas. Previous winners include Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, Pace alumna and founder of Latino U College Access, and Pace professors Matthew Bolton and Emily Welton, for their efforts to abolish nuclear weapons.
Nominations will be solicited by the chairs of the Steering Committee and reviewed by a Selection Committee made up of students, faculty, and staff. A slate of three nominees, per campus, will be submitted to the President of the University for final decision.
“Sanitation Celebration” is a Pace University Gallery exhibit of painting, video, sculpture, and photography by 21 Department of Sanitation (DSNY) workers, plus the department’s artists-in-residence, Mierle Laderman Ukeles and sTo Len. The show opened on Nov. 14 and continues to Jan. 28.
Instructors from Pace University’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences recently received a $499,354 grant from the National Science Foundation that will allow them to expand the teaching of data science skills into introductory biology and environmental science courses.
Dyson students took their coursework beyond the classroom walls, tackling real-world issues and presenting to global policymakers.
This fall, Dyson students took their coursework beyond the classroom walls, tackling real-world issues and presenting to global policymakers.
In Professor of Political Science Matthew Bolton’s, PhD, class, delivering a statement to the United Nations is considered coursework.
For the past several years, Pace University’s International Disarmament Institute, the Political Science Department, and the Peace and Justice Studies program have collaborated to craft a joint statement on youth engagement and disarmament education to deliver to the UN’s First Committee during the General Assembly session.
This fall, students in Bolton’s political science class, titled “The Global Politics of Disarmament and Arms Control,” analyzed past statements, General Assembly resolutions, and policy briefing papers to help create this year’s statement, which was delivered on Friday, October 8. Because non-governmental agencies are generally allotted only a short window of time during the session, the statement’s purpose is to represent the position of many groups advocating for youth issues and disarmament education, which focuses on the reduction, control, and elimination of weapons to prevent armed conflict.
Taylor Mangus ’23, Political Science, and Jeremiah Williams ’23, Political Science and Communications, led the effort in collecting research and information from their classmates and reaching out to activists and organizations who are focusing on these issues, nationally and internationally.
“We had to work on getting all of those actors their requested piece of material in the written statement and then extrapolate all of that out and see what we’re going to say,” said Williams. “How are we going to make it impactful? How are we going to make our voices heard?”
The draft that Mangus and Williams crafted was distributed to their classmates and the organizations involved for input and then refined by Mangus, Williams, and Bolton. The final statement centered around the impact of nuclear violence on today’s youth around the globe, underlining the notion that the diversity and intersectionality of young people’s experiences and identities affect the narrative. It urged the First Committee to support and fund disarmament education, as well as to pass this year’s “Youth, disarmament and non-proliferation” resolution, including linkages to other issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
“One of the biggest challenges I faced when writing the statement was to represent the experiences of people who I had not encountered the same life experiences as,” said Mangus. “It was a very eye-opening experience to touch on the importance of people who are often forgotten in the discussion around disarmament.”
Once finalized, the statement was then signed by 34 global civil society organizations, including two Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.
My hope is that the experience can show students that there are opportunities to influence the world around them and help them learn tools in advocacy and diplomacy.
—Professor Matthew Bolton, PhD
In participating in this experience, Pace students like Mangus, Williams, and their classmates are presented the unique opportunity to bring their coursework to life in engaging and tangible ways, using classroom concepts to tackle crucial current issues and affect real change.
“My hope is that the experience can show students that there are opportunities to influence the world around them and help them learn tools in advocacy and diplomacy,” said Bolton. “It can give students insight into how the institutions they are learning about in class actually function.”
In addition to the longer, written statement, Mangus and Williams worked to create the shorter, punchier version that was delivered via Zoom to the First Committee. Williams, selected by his classmates and the Peace and Justice Studies program to present the statement, then put on the finishing touches, using his public speaking background as the president of Pace Debates, the University’s student debate team, to finesse the language and delivery.
“After it was done, I took a deep breath, and I was like, ‘I did it. It’s over. The statement has been delivered. This is now part of history, it’s in the record. Your footprint has been made,’” said Williams, who delivered his speech in a blue suit and yellow tie to represent Pace’s colors. He also mentioned that, immediately upon the conclusion of the statement, Professor Bolton was receiving praise on social media from the organizations that had contributed, applauding how well the statement and Williams’s delivery represented their position.
“This statement is not only a fantastic experience for Pace students, but it is really important for the United Nations to hear the voices of youth and to take them seriously as experts who have very real stakes in the work of the UN,” said Emily Welty, PhD, professor of women’s and gender studies and director of the peace and justice studies program. “What I found so compelling about Jeremiah and Taylor’s statement was that it demonstrated that the work of First Committee cannot be left to diplomats alone but involves all of us.”
After delivering this statement to the UN, Williams and Mangus also addressed First Committee diplomats and civil society advocates at an event on youth inclusion at New York’s Yale Club, an event that also included international ambassadors and UN representatives as fellow speakers.
Then, in early November, thanks in large part to work from advocates like Williams and Mangus, the First Committee unanimously adopted its biennial “Youth, disarmament, and non-proliferation” resolution. The new version extends beyond the 2019 version, notably including a request that the UN Secretary General “seek the views” of member states, the UN, international organizations, and civil society on youth engagement activities surrounding disarmament and submit a report to the General Assembly in 2023.
Throughout this experience, Williams and Mangus both expressed gratitude for the opportunity to take their coursework beyond the walls of a Pace classroom and (virtually) into the chambers of one of the world’s most powerful organizations.
“I personally feel more inspired than I ever have,” said Williams. “I’ve found being in the Political Science Department at Pace really rewarding because a lot of the professors are working with the United Nations or are doing independent work or research that I can see and can be a part of.”
Professor Bennett Gershwin and Ellen Yaroshefsky's article in the New York Law Journal examines why prosecutors, the most powerful public officials in America, are rarely sanctioned when they break the rules citing the impact of Judiciary Law §90(10).
Professor John Bandler provides expert advice on how to protect businesses from the threat of ransomware, a top cybercrime, in this article in the Westchester and Fairfield Business Journal.
After a long hiatus, and with precautions still in place, live performances have returned to New York – and Pace Performing Arts students and alumni involved in ground-breaking on-campus productions and “spectacular” off-campus shows are rejoicing.
After a long hiatus, and with precautions still in place, live performances have returned to New York – and Pace Performing Arts students and alumni involved in ground-breaking on-campus productions and “spectacular” off-campus shows are rejoicing.
With theater doors shut for more than a year, the performing arts industry took a major hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many artists not only out of work, but unable to do what they love most. In recent months, while enforcing COVID precautions, theaters have reilluminated New York City as performers have returned to the stage.
This fall, the Pace School of Performing Arts (PPA) put on a hybrid production of Fugitive Songs, where performers were on stage in person while audiences watched through a live stream. And beginning in November, the Radio City Rockettes, an ensemble that features 14 Pace students and alumni, will dance back into the spotlight at the famed Radio City Music Hall for the return of the Christmas Spectacular, a New York City holiday tradition. Hear from nine current students who were members of the cast and crew of Fugitive Songs and two Rockettes – one current student and one alumna – on the excitement of getting back on stage.
On Sunday, September 26, the Pace School of Performing Arts’s cast of Fugitive Songs was featured on the big screen at the Tony Awards, appearing in a “Broadway is Back” video, welcoming live theater back to the stage. Adjunct Professor Rebecca Aparicio, director of the Pace production of “Fugitive Songs,” received an invitation to have the cast participate in the video – which was shown to everyone in attendance that night at the Winter Garden – and jumped at the opportunity.
Members of the cast and crew reflected on the experience and on their return to live theater for the week-long run of Fugitive Songs in October, citing their joy to once again be surrounded by their fellow performers.
![[Top, left to right] Brandon Maxwell ’18, Valeria Yamin ’22, Hanna Piper '19, Madison O’Connor '21, Sydney Mesher ’19, JoJo Carmichael ’22, Elizabeth Dupont (Henn) '18, Matthew Deloch ’21 [Bottom, left to right] Kathleen Laituri '18, Amanda Mitchell ’18, Maddie Rodrigue '18, Caitie Russell '20, Stevie Mack (Furlong) '18, Emily King '19](/sites/default/files/styles/1200_width/public/2022-01/dyson-hero-curtain-up.jpg?itok=3KHXHVR2)
I’m most excited to simply be a part of the biggest and most exciting production ever of the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes as we are performing more numbers in the show this year than ever before. I’m also so excited for my family to come and see the show as it will be their first time ever seeing the Christmas Spectacular.
The Pace commercial dance program is very demanding physically and mentally in the best way possible and has always pushed me to be my best. And that is exactly what being a Rockette is. You are constantly aiming to be your best self every rehearsal and every show.
Being able to perform in front of a live audience again is incredible, and I am so grateful to have this opportunity to be a part of such a special legacy in New York City. The Christmas Spectacular is such an important part of the holidays in New York City, and being able to share this experience with so many families is truly a gift.
It was great going into this job with some of my Pace family. It’s always exciting being able to create new memories with people you already feel connected to. It also gave me a sense of familiarity in new territory, which is always nice to have.
I am elated to be performing in front of live audiences again! Live theater is not only such an important part of my life, but also so important to New York City. For the past year or so I have craved the excitement, as well as the nerves, of live theater. Being on stage, especially at the legendary Radio City Music Hall, fills my soul in such a unique way. I am so grateful to be able to feel that again.
I have grown so much since my first season as a Rockette (in 2019; no performances were held in 2020). To start, I have a lot more confidence going into my second season because I know what to expect a bit. Knowing how much time I need in the dressing room to get ready and understanding the behind-the-scenes of the show allows me to feel more secure this year. I also am just so thankful to be back with the Rockettes after this past year. I’m grateful for any opportunity, as long as I just get the option to do what I love.
This season I am most excited to perform the number “Snow.” It was first in the show a number of years ago, and we’re bringing it back this year. After seeing all our individualized costumes, which are uniquely designed to represent unique snowflakes, I couldn’t wait to get on stage for this beautiful number.
Performing with so many Pace alumni is such a gift. It is so special to have a unique bond within the Rockettes line. I truly believe that Pace was a key part in our training to get us all here. There is a lot of Pace pride!
“Pace allowed me the space and grace to form my own distinct value system, while expanding my knowledge of scholarly political theories and feminist texts to prepare me for my career.”
Pace allowed me the space and grace to form my own distinct value system, while expanding my knowledge of scholarly political theories and feminist texts to prepare me for my career.
Currently, you are director of an institutional support contract under the Inclusive Development (ID) Hub of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which administers civilian foreign aid and development assistance.
The ID Hub promotes a nondiscriminatory and integrated development approach that ensures that all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and disabilities can fully participate in and benefit from development processes. As the director, I recruit and lead a team of development experts and practitioners that support USAID to analyze inclusive development issues in their country or sector and provide technical assistance and oversight of activities related to all ID Hub technical areas. These staffing positions are particularly important as we work to combat stigma and discrimination, promote empowerment and inclusion of marginalized or underrepresented groups, and improve the lives of populations in high-risk situations.
My first position was as a governance, peace, and security graduate intern with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), now UNWOMEN. My role was to support the agency’s efforts in providing timely and accurate information to inform policy and guide the expanding normative framework around peace and security. I was responsible for managing data for West Africa and Haiti and created and maintained news briefs and country profiles regarding women in armed conflicts from Haiti, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, and Western Sahara.
My next position was as a consultant for an exciting project, Global Youth Partners (GYP) with the United Nations Population Fund. I was part of a dynamic team that monitored and evaluated the GYP project in Egypt, with the goal of gaining the Ministry of Education’s commitment to establishing Anti-AIDS Clubs in three secondary schools in Mansoura. Using training from my Women’s and Gender Studies minor, I conducted a gender assessment, exploring components of the youth-adult partnerships.
My interest in women, peace, and security started with a course I took with Professor Aseel Sawala. We were exploring the Algerian war, and the discussion challenged me to look beyond the revolution and fight for liberation, to the ultimate cost of armed conflicts on women and children. This course ultimately led me to do my most recent work advancing women’s leadership in places troubled by conflict and violence, like Afghanistan and Haiti. I also decided to minor in Women’s and Gender Studies.
Pace allowed me the space and grace to form my own distinct value system while expanding my knowledge of scholarly political theories and feminist texts to prepare me for my career.
I started through internships, and my first was through the Pace Career Services program. They were able to match me with a small, international non-governmental organization, Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI). While the name was super funny at the time, they had this concept that when Humpty Dumpty fell and broke, all the king’s men would help build Humpty Dumpty back together again. With the same idea in mind, HDI engages critical stakeholders through its programs with the US Congress and the United Nations, including organizing visits of Congressional delegations overseas and to the UN, and through its engagement with business and cultural leaders worldwide. This opportunity through Pace allowed me to experience what a career in international development could be, while meeting regular people who were part of that world.
As a New Yorker, I wanted to stay in this vibrant and diverse city, but I did not want to feel lost in a big university with no sense of community. I was in search of a small, intimate liberal arts college that allowed students a chance to get to know their professors, while being exposed to the best museums, galleries, libraries, and access to the world’s leading international non-governmental organizations.
Growing up in a predominately immigrant neighborhood in Flatbush, Brooklyn, I understood early on how politics, policies, and laws shape our lives well beyond our borders. In fact, because of this diversity, I became interested in how migration was connected to failed economic policies, conflicts, and other political issues. I am also a first-generation college student, and my parents stressed the value of education and encouraged me to pursue my career.
In 2019, I took on the role of director of USAID’s Promote Women’s Leadership Development program to build the confidence of Afghanistan’s most talented young women to encourage them to participate fully in society and become future leaders in the public and private sectors. While there, our offices and residences were attacked and bombed by the Taliban. For nearly 17 hours, as I hid in a bunker with only the sounds of explosives, gunfire, and the occasional silence, I had no idea if we would survive. So many lives were lost from that senseless act of violence in that camp. My thoughts in that bunker often returned to the girls who brought me here and why this work was so important.
It may sound cliche, but find what you love. The things that ignite the fire in you are what make you come alive. And, with that passion comes so much drive, dedication, and grit. Your vision may not be apparent to others at first. It is okay; the love you have for what you do will sustain you during the difficult time, so focus on building your network of trusted confidants who can support your vision.
As a child, I yearned for a more common, feminine name. After all, what child doesn’t want to fit in? I remember asking my dad in the third grade why he skipped over Melissa or Sandra in naming me. He went on and on about the sun being our life force on earth. He then talked about the transformational power of love. Love has the ability to change the world, from small acts of kindness to targeted policies to balance out the inequities. My name was the result of both of these concepts.