Congratulations to the Class of 2021

May 25, 2021 – This month, Eagleton held virtual programs to celebrate the achievements of both the Class of 2021 Undergraduate Associates and Graduate Fellows.

“This is a unique class in many ways. You’re the best of the best at Rutgers. You really represent a cross-section of Rutgers. We haven’t had a lot to celebrate this year, but that makes tonight especially important because tonight we get to celebrate you,” said Eagleton Director John J. Farmer, Jr.

United States District Judge Esther Salas delivered keynote remarks, sharing inspiration, life lessons, and words of encouragement. Watch the full video.

“In the world we live in, there is so much division. There is so much hatred… I challenge each of you to move past judgment, expel intolerance, and work towards inclusion as opposed to exclusion,” said Judge Salas.

“Decide to make a difference. Although we cannot change the past, we can dictate the manner in which we choose to live in the future. Each of you have the ability to change your lives and the lives of those around you… May you choose light over darkness, love over hate. May you always remember that the power to choose how to live one’s life, that’s the greatest gift of all.” Judge Salas added that we all have choice in life whether to share our woes or share our wisdom. She has chosen wisdom and urged the new graduates to do the same.

Eagleton Undergraduate Associates

25 students completed the Eagleton Undergraduate Associates Program this month. These undergraduates represented all three Rutgers campus locations and a variety of schools and areas of study, such as: biology, criminal justice, economics, English, ethics, political science, public health, and urban studies.

“Thank you to my cohort for putting a smile on my face during a rough year for all of us. Thank you for teaching me about myself and my beliefs. Thank you for listening to me. A few years ago, I didn’t know that a hijab wearing woman could be in the political field. I had no role model to follow. I felt invisible and unheard. So having a group of individuals ready to listen, but also encouraging me to speak, is something that I never experienced before and will value forever.” – Yasmine Hafez, Class of 2021 UA Representative

The Eagleton UA Class of 2021:

After graduation, some members of the Class of 2021 accepted placements abroad as part of the Schwarzman Scholarship (China) and the Truman-Albright Fellowship, while others accepted placements within the United States with Americorps Vista and the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship.

Some graduates will begin graduate-level study as students at Harvard University, American University, Johns Hopkins University, University of California-Berkeley, Rutgers University, and Brooklyn College. Others are beginning their careers at Deloitte, BerryDunn and Spectrum News.

Eagleton Graduate Fellows

27 Eagleton Graduate Fellows graduated from the Fellowship Program this month. This cohort includes graduate students from Rutgers-New Brunswick, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers-Newark, and Rutgers-Camden. The students belong to a variety of Rutgers schools and disciplines, such as: city and regional planning, ecology and evolution, environmental science, law, public policy, social work, and toxicology.

Dr. Emahunn Campbell, Class of 2021 Fellow Representative, spoke about the students’ task at Eagleton. “This Fellowship is not something merely to put on our resume. It’s not merely something to network with. It comes with a responsibility. It represents a call to action, understanding that lives are at stake and politics don’t simply exist within the halls of Congress or the halls of the State House. It exists in our everyday lives. Our lives are at stake and people are dying, people are living to see a brighter future. We hold the future in our hands… I look forward to shaping that future with all of you together.”

The Eagleton Fellowship Class of 2021:

Many of the graduates accepted positions in public service at the local, state, and national level, including at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, National League of Cities, Office of Legislative Services, Department of Children and Families, law enforcement, refugee service agencies, and through judiciary clerkships.

Some of the Fellows will continue their graduate and PhD. studies at Rutgers or other academic institutions in the U.S. and Europe.