Bernie NunezJustice Matters, the new Cabrini College curriculum that will be implemented in fall 2009 for entering students, was revealed by Dr. Marie Angelella George at her inauguration as president of Cabrini College. This new curriculum is unlike any other in the United States and will emphasize to students the importance of working for a more just world and advocating for local and global communities.
“Already, after just a few months, I am moved by the depth of knowledge and passion for justice expressed by Cabrini students,” George said.
George was inaugurated on Saturday, Nov. 15, as the seventh president of Cabrini.
During her speech, she expressed her passion for engaging students in an “education of the heart.”
“I am committing myself to learn alongside them [students] as we implement our new curriculum,” she said.
As a sign of her commitment, in February, George plans to travel to a Mayan village in Guatemala with selected faculty and students in order to witness the “power of partnerships” and to bring back what they learned to share with the rest of the Cabrini community.
“Our goal is no less than for students to be transformed into citizens committed to justice, working in their unique and collective ways for the common good,” George said.
Students in all majors will connect their knowledge and expertise to researching the ways to bring about systemic change in the world, in issues such as health, migration, ecology and women’s rights.
She conveyed much gratitude to Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and Mother Ursula Infante, who set the foundation for Cabrini by dedicating themselves to matters of social justice.
“I awoke this morning to think of her [St. Cabrini], a faith-filled woman who came to this country with little more than a calling, but who left a legacy that extends well beyond the borders of this campus. Her legacy will guide me and inspire me just as it has all of you,” George said.
As George stood in front of her audience, her eyes began to tear as she spoke of her parents. Her mother Josephine Angelella sat in the crowd and blew her a kiss when she said, “I stand before you today as the very proud daughter of a seamstress and a shoemaker.” Education was a priority in George’s life and she has a strong devotion to it.
George claimed that she decided to come to Cabrini because of its transformational education. While many colleges and universities focus on simply their students’ academic foundation,Cabrini seeks further to lay a moral foundation for the future of its students.
George said, “Our goal is to educate students who will be, while they are here and long after they leave this campus, engaged with our world, dedicated to addressing the most challenging issues of out times, prepared for action and advocacy and forever inspired by the transformative vision for social justice that lies at the heart of our Catholic and Cabrinian mission.”
