This award will help us greatly in our efforts to uplift educators and promote new and innovative instruction that is accessible to all learners. This grant will allow Montclair to fund NJ250: Civics and History for the Next Generation, a three-year project that includes two initiatives:

• Teacher Fellowship Program: In each year of the program, 30 middle and high school teachers will form a cohort that will work with subject matter experts to develop engaging curricula that enhance the teaching and learning of American history, civics and economic liberty. Teachers will be paid a $6,000 stipend and their lesson plans will be made publicly available. for the fellowship program.
• Civics Videos: Teacher cohorts will work with �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s College of Communication and Media to create a series of “Schoolhouse Rock-style” short and long-form videos to spark interest in civics and reach an audience beyond the classroom.

The award, part of the the U.S. Department of Education’s American History and Civics Seminars Program, reflects a commitment to strengthening civics education nationwide. Montclair is the only New Jersey institution to receive an award from the .

“At ����vlog, we believe that preparing all learners to be informed, engaged citizens is one of the most essential roles a public-serving institution can fulfill in our society,” said President Jonathan Koppell. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, this work is more urgent than ever. We are honored to lead efforts that will equip educators and students alike to reflect on the principles and values of American democracy so they can be informed and active citizens engaged in the responsibilities of self-government.”

About the American History and Civics Seminars Program

Efforts from the American History and Civics Seminars Program will coincide with the United States Semiquincentennial, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Funding from the grant will support:

• Seminar-based instruction grounded in founding texts and constitutional principles;
• The creation of short- and long-form educational resources to enhance civics learning for students and the broader public;
• School and community events fostering civil discourse on public issues related to foundational American principles;
• Locally developed curricular resources that meet state academic content standards.

Learn more about NJ 250.

Contact the Media Relations team for assets or to schedule an interview.

The Montclair programs that participate in the annual survey include Education, Public Health, Audiology, Speech-Language Pathology and the University’s Part-Time MBA program.

Highlights from the 2025 Best Graduate Programs Rankings:

• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s graduate education specialization in Elementary Teacher Education ranked No. 21 in the nation
• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Doctor of Audiology and Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology programs, in a new addition to the annual rankings, ranked No. 61 and No. 105 (and second in N.J.), respectively
• The institution’s overall ranked No. 108 overall and second in N.J.
• The University’s Master of Public Health ranked No. 168 overall
• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Part-Time MBA program ranked No. 197, up ten spots from last year’s rankings

�ѴDzԳٳ���������’s Graduate Offerings

Montclair offers 116 master’s and eight doctoral programs across a range of disciplines in its 13 colleges and schools.

“Our graduate programs prepare students to enter the next phase of their careers with the skills needed to thrive in their chosen fields,” says Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. “These rankings are the latest indication that �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s stature as a comprehensive research university with cutting-edge programs continues to ascend.”

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Prospective Student? Take the first step toward applying to become a Red Hawk.

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Highlights from the 2025 Best Online Programs Rankings:

• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s online Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program is ranked No. 14 in the nation and No. 1 in New Jersey. The education programs survey also ranked certain specialty areas, including Educational Administration and Supervision, in which the University also ranked at No. 13.
• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s ranked at No. 100 in the nation. The , Master of Science in Digital Marketing Analytics and Master of Science in Human Resources Analytics programs ranked at No. 61 in the nation, up 10 spots from 2024.
• The University’s Master of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Applied Information Technology (Professional Science Master’s) is ranked No. 50.
• The University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, launched in 2018, had another substantial increase, improving nearly 20 spots to No. 58 and ranked No. 2 in New Jersey.

U.S. News & World Report program rankings are based on scores from five categories – student engagement, services and technologies, student excellence, faculty credentials and training, and opinions of academic experts.

“We recognize that no two pathways to a degree are alike, and our educational options reflect that reality,” says Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. “These latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report are demonstrative of our efforts to be leaders in offering curricula that best serves the 21st-century student. We are honored to be ranked among some of the best online degree programs in the country.”

Montclair’s Online Program Offerings

Montclair also offers several other online graduate degree and certificate options designed to equip working professionals with career-enhancing skills, including:

• A Master of Arts in Child Advocacy and Policy
• A low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Dance
• A Master of Arts in Social Research and Data Analysis
• A Master of Arts in Mathematics Education
• A Master of Science in Accounting
• A Master of Social Work
• Graduate certificate and certification programs in advocacy, business, education and technology for those who want to build out or update skills to enhance their careers.

For more information on all of ����vlog’s online graduate programs, visit montclair.edu/online. Learn more about �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s rankings by visiting .

“Anti-fat bias has surpassed discrimination based on race and gender and sexuality, so it’s the most prevalent form of discrimination out there,” Spitz says. Yet, “there are no legal protections for fat people.”

“Anti-fat bias is so present but there’s never been a space for that discussion,” says Office for Social Justice and Diversity Director Adela Caceres. “This is a huge learning opportunity.”

As a Montclair alumna, MFA Studio Art ’16, currently pursuing a master of arts in Higher Education, Spitz also serves as Department Administrator for Art and Design. Identifying as a “fat person” – a term she uses descriptively and as an identity – she is committed to raising awareness about this often-overlooked bias and improving inclusivity on campus.

Turning Research into Action

Spitz’s efforts have already influenced leaders and staff at ����vlog, resulting in positive changes on campus including:

• Inclusive Classroom Design: A renovated lecture classroom in Calcia Hall now features seating for larger students and those with disabilities.
• Health-care Accessibility: The Student Health Center updated its policies and spaces to better serve all students. Changes include offering gowns in various sizes, implementing a “Decline to Weigh” policy, and prominently displaying inclusive signage.
• Community Awareness: Spitz helped organize �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s first flag-raising ceremony for Disability Awareness Month in conjunction with LGBTQ+ History Month and with the Office for Social Justice and Diversity, the Disability Caucus and the Disability Resource Center.

The “Decline to Weigh” policy allows patients to opt out of being weighed when seeking services. If deemed medically necessary to obtain a weight, those measurements are taken “blind,” says Interim Student Health Center Director Sarah Jennings, “meaning the numbers are not shared with the patient.”

Spitz says such a policy “is particularly important for students with eating disorders as seeing or knowing their weight can trigger dangerous eating disorder habits. If we can dispel the myth that your weight is controllable and the way that your weight impacts your health – it’s a very small portion – those are the two key things that I’ve been trying to dispel, because that’s what the research says helps with biases.”Jennings praises Spitz’s commitment, noting that her involvement “prompted a number of meaningful changes.”

Raising Awareness Across Campus

Taking advantage of President Jonathan Koppell’s invitation to students to walk and talk with him around campus, Spitz shared some of her findings with him. In turn, he shared it with members of his leadership team, who have been receptive to her presentation on the history and implications of “Weight Based Discrimination.”

Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life Dawn Meza Soufleris, who has Spitz in a graduate class, invited Spitz to present her research to her staff. “She has been advocating for a number of things via the Disabilities Caucus, including larger seating and other body-positive frameworks, as well as teaching many of us the history of anti-fatness from a DEI perspective. It’s fascinating and is her passion.”

She may have a larger campus audience in the spring. Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Special Assistant to the President Ashante Connor says: “We are working to provide a platform for her to raise awareness and educate our community around weight inclusion. Anti-fatness shows up in ways that typically our conscious mind is unaware of, especially in the hiring process and other selection processes. Our goal is to provide a space and platform for any employee who is committed to advancing inclusion and access for the entire community.”

Spitz�� also has shared her findings with the Disability Caucus, of which she is an executive board member, as well as the Office for Social Justice and Diversity professors and students.

Office for Social Justice and Diversity Director Adela Caceres, who also serves as Spitz’s mentor, found the information eye-opening and invited her to a training for about 30 graduate and undergraduate students who work with the office. “She’s doing some amazing work,” Caceres says. “Anti-fat bias is so present but it’s never talked about, and at a university like this, where we have such a diverse group of students, there are many that identify with this particular community, but there’s never been a space for that discussion. Even for me, it was a huge learning opportunity.”

Key Takeaways from Anti-Fat Bias Research

Spitz’s research highlights that anti-fatness is a complex, multifaceted issue with deep historical roots and wide-ranging impacts on individuals and society. Major takeaways from the findings include:

1. Historical roots: Fat people have existed across the world for as long as thin people, dating�� back to the Paleolithic era’s “Small-fat” bodies were considered the ideal beauty for white women during the Renaissance. This changed during slavery, however, when America and European colonialists started portraying black bodies negatively to further legitimize the oppression of black people for over 500 years.
2. Legal discrimination: “It’s actually legal to discriminate against fat folks in 48 states,” Spitz says. “New York City just passed a law in 2023 forbidding it, but it’s still legal within the state of New York.” While it’s still legal in New Jersey, a bill making it illegal to discriminate against people because of height and weight has been advanced by the Senate Labor Committee; a House bill has not been introduced.
3. Gender bias: Women experience more systemic discrimination and interpersonal bias related to body size than men. There’s also more focus on women’s bodies and appearance in professional settings. “A lot of my research shows massive disparities in employment income, especially for women,” Spitz says.
4. Religious influence: The rise and spread of Protestantism linked eating habits and body weight with morality, leading to a persistent mentality that people are “good” or only deserve health care if they’re trying to be healthy.
5. Anti-fat fashion: Clothing and fashion has also played a key role in stigmatizing fat people and the industry still largely promotes thinness, especially for women.
6. Everyday challenges: Fat people face numerous everyday challenges, from fitting into cars to dealing with furniture designed for smaller bodies.

Why Weight Bias Matters in Higher Education

1. Physical Infrastructure: Campus spaces often fail to accommodate larger bodies, from classroom chairs to dorm showers.
2. Social Bias: Fat students face bullying and exclusion, compounded by misconceptions about weight and health.
3. Mental Health: Stress from discrimination and feeling singled out can harm students’ well-being and self-esteem.
4. Health-care Disparities: Reliance on outdated measures like BMI perpetuates biased care. Spitz emphasizes that some patients with higher BMIs can have normal lab results and blood pressure.
5. Limited Representation: A lack of diverse body types among faculty and in campus media may reinforce feelings of exclusion.

Recommendations for Change

Spitz has a long list of recommendations that could result in cultural and systemic changes at Montclair and other institutions of higher education to combat anti-fatness, including:

• Expanding mental health resources for students with eating disorders and weight-related stress.
• Incorporating sizeism into diversity training for hiring committees.
• Representing fat individuals positively in campus advertising and media.
• Increasing clothing and mannequin sizes at university bookstores.

What’s Next for Anti-Fat Bias Research and Advocacy?

While systemic changes take time, Spitz is determined to keep advocating for inclusion. She is also working on publishing a peer-reviewed study focusing on weight-based discrimination in higher education. “Seeing these results will be healing for so many students for years to come,” she says. “I’m so grateful for all my mentors and collaborators on-campus who supported me and gave me the opportunities to present my work.”

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However, few scholars have studied how Brown impacted Black teachers in the North (this report refers to all regions outside of the South as part of the larger “North” that was not part of the Jim Crow “South”).

In Educational Foundations Professor Zoë Burkholder traces this complex history before and after Brown.

About the Report

Leading up to the decision’s 70th anniversary on May 17, 2024, the report was commissioned by the (NCSD) as part of a larger research project entitled “Leveraging Title II of ESSA and Redressing the Post-Brown Decimation of the Black Educator Workforce in the South to Support School Integration and Educator Diversity,” supported by American Institutes for Research’s Equity Initiative.

“As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board, it’s important to recognize how this ruling has shaped the long struggle for Black educational equality since 1954,” said Zoë Burkholder. “One thing that is clear is that we are still grappling with its complex legacy today.”

Key Finding

In tracing the complex history of Black teachers outside the South before and after 1954, Burkholder found that Northern Black teachers generally did not lose their jobs directly or indirectly due to Brown, in contrast to their Southern peers (who, in 1966, accounted for roughly 85% of the U.S. Black teaching force). Prior to the Brown ruling, the number of Northern Black teachers had actually been slowly rising, in concert with Black population growth resulting from the Great Migration, during which some six million Black Americans relocated to the North and West, almost entirely in cities.

However, gains in the Northern Black teaching force did not last. The overall percentage of Black teachers as part of the U.S. teaching force started to decline two decades after 1954—and this history continues today in the widespread underrepresentation of Black teachers in schools.

Questions Addressed in the Report

• What were the consequences of Brown on Black teachers outside of the South and border states?
• How did desegregation efforts impact the teaching force in Northern regions of the country?
• What are the lasting effects of the loss of Black educators on communities and education systems?

“Professor Burkholder’s research challenges us to broaden our perspective as we consider what it will truly take to achieve educator diversity at scale,” said Gina Chirichigno, director of NCSD. “A more nuanced understanding of this history helps us appreciate how far we have to go, and why.”

To schedule an interview with Zoë Burkholder, contact the ����vlog Media Relations team.

For more information about the Educational Foundations program at ����vlog, visit .

Lepinski was one of four graduating Team Rocky members, who carried on the tradition of revealing themselves as Rocky during Commencement. Although he and fellow Rocky and graduate Vanessa Fingerlin had both revealed their secret identities on their respective social media channels, they both wore big yellow feet with their graduation gowns to reveal their secret mascot identities to the morning Commencement attendees. At the afternoon ceremony, Eliza Andrus and Aylin Alvarez-Santiago revealed their undercover assignments of portraying Ricky, Rocky’s odd cousin, by donning the mascot’s oversized sneakers.��

“All four of these students have truly made their mark on the campus as members of Team Rocky,” says Team Rocky Advisor Hannah Lindeblad ’13. “Some only have been on for a year, while others have been on since 2019. I am so proud of all of them and can’t wait to see what they do after they leave ����vlog.”

Seeing Double: Rocky

Lepinski graduated with a Bachelor of Science in��Physical Education and Fingerlin earned a Bachelor of Arts in��Educational Foundations for Elementary Teachers.

Jersey Joe and �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s social media team revealed Lepinski’s Rocky persona on social media platforms on May 10. Lepinski shared four dance videos of himself dressed as Rocky, racking up almost 25 million views combined. A Commencement day video of him dancing as red and white confetti still floated in the air snagged 4 million views alone. Some followers and fellow students commented that they’d suspected he was Rocky all along, while others said they’d been completely fooled.��

“I knew it!” wrote Jennifer Lynn.

“No freakin’ way,” commented someone named Shakira.��

Monica Rolon said: “This actually makes A LOT of sense.”��

Associate Professor of Exercise Science and Physical Education Kristin Scrabis-Fletcher, who had Lepinski in class, says: “Joe was always very high energy in class and eager to participate. He has tremendous energy which is infectious.”

That energy undoubtedly helped Lepinski juggle both his social media and academic careers.

Fingerlin had been toying with the idea of transferring from Montclair but then decided to take a leap of faith and apply to Team Rocky. “I’ve always been tall (5’10”), so I was like, ‘Why not do something to you know, show off my height?’” she recalls.��

Taller team members can wear the Rocky costume, while shorter ones often wear the Ricky garb. Fingerlin joined the team in 2019 but took a leave of absence from school during the 2020 pandemic. “Team Rocky was the anchor that brought me back,” she says.

The highlight for Fingerlin was performing with Montclair cheerleaders for their back-to-back championship titles in the Advanced Small Coed Division III competition at the National Cheerleaders Association & National Dance Association College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, earlier this year. She recalls hiding her Rockydom by pretending she was helping the Cheer Team with social media. “It was really, really cool being on that stage and being able to be the first Rocky to go,” she says, noting that it was �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s first time to attend in person in years.

While she would have been happy to be more involved in the team’s performance, the Rocky costume can be restrictive, she says, laughing. “I really liked being able to stand in the middle of their pyramid and hype them up and rep MSU.”

She also enjoyed hosting Rocky on the Street, for which she didn’t have to don her Rocky suit. “I had such an amazing time hosting,” she says.

Team Rocky duties kept the new graduate busy during the fall ’23 and spring ’24 semesters. Fingerlin says she had 125 shifts as either a handler or as Rocky, 42 of them this semester alone. “I just love it. I love being able to work with people on the team and go out and do fun events like the football games, Accepted Student Day and anytime they’ve got a DJ in the quad, I love being there. It’s so much fun.”

Fingerlin, who is applying for elementary school jobs, says she’s sad to say goodbye to being Rocky. “I’m devastated. It’s heartbreaking,” she says.

As a member of the team, “I was able to watch myself grow into the person I am now, and Team Rocky has been such an anchor for me. It’s definitely going to be a rough transition not being on the team anymore but I know there’s going to be so much change and so many new ideas, and I’m excited to see it grow. We have such a great alumni base, so I know that it’s more like a ‘See you later’ than a ‘Goodbye.’”

Ricky Times Two

Andrus, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, wore Ricky’s high-top sneakers with her Commencement gown. She joined Team Rocky in her sophomore year.��

With many family members in entertainment, including her uncle Joe Gatto, a founding cast member of Impractical Jokers, Andrus was destined to major in Musical Theatre. She knew she could do TV and movies and was initially focused on a Broadway career but found it less fulfilling than she imagined.

Team Rocky opened up a whole new world of entertainment to her, she says. “I discovered you can join Team Rocky, so I applied, I got on and that really just opened the door for sports entertainment. I would never have even known that I could do that professionally.”

Andrus already has mascot and announcer jobs lined up. She’ll work as game emcee and mascot handler for the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, a minor league baseball team. She says her T-shirt launching skills as part of Team Rocky will come in handy, as she will also be doing that in the future. She also works part time for the New Jersey Devils hockey team and for a character entertainment company, which provides costumed performers for events, such as birthday parties.

“I am very often found dressed as the princesses, as the superheroes, and I do a lot of mascotting for them. The mascot thing runs deep,” she says, laughing.

Andrus, who wears prescription glasses, likened wearing the Ricky costume to a “toddler’s onesie” and his head to “wearing a baseball mask that’s made for a child and not an adult.” Because there’s no room for her glasses and she doesn’t wear contacts, “I was blind in more ways than one,” Andrus says.

The handlers are key to guiding the costumed team members, she says. “There is no room for anything but your nose in there. It’s literally like this against your face,” she says, placing her hand against her nose. “You can’t see, you can’t breathe, it’s horrible but the most fun.”

Alvarez-Santiago spent only her final year at Montclair on Team Rocky. She served as�� Ricky, a handler and the camera person for Rocky on the Streets – not surprising given that she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in��Film and Television. Because there is only one pair of Ricky high-top sneakers, Alvarez-Santiago borrowed Rocky’s low top sneakers for her Commencement reveal.

Alvarez-Santiago remembers seeing Cousin Ricky at Rocky’s Birthday party celebrations and thinking, “Oh, this guy looks so weird, and he’s my height.” It was then she decided, “I want to be on this team to be him so bad.”

She got her chance and loved every minute of it. “It was hard to hear and navigate but I just loved hearing people ask, ‘Who is that? What is his story?’” she says. “It was just a fun time because they didn’t know it was me under there.”

Those who portray Ricky often come up with a signature quirk for the character. Alvarez-Santiago’s was to walk away from people and then quickly turn and face the person. “It’s kind of to scare you a little but that was my favorite bit with Ricky,” she says, adding that after seeing her reveal photos, she took a good look at Ricky’s head. “He’s a little creepy.”

Although she was on Team Rocky for only a year, it was a busy one for Alvarez-Santiago, who racked up the most shifts during her final two semesters. She had three post-Commencement handling shifts, including coming back for Bloomfield College of ����vlog’s Commencement on May 18.

“I loved my time and being that little freak.”

PHOTO GALLERY

Story by Staff Writer Sylvia A. Martinez.��

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N.J. Grandmother Earns Her Degree After Five Decades

Being a quintuplet is exceptionally rare. Rarer still is all five attending the same college and graduating on the same day. But that’s what the Povolo quintuplets – Victoria, Ludovico, Ashley, Michael and Marcus – have accomplished at ����vlog. On Monday, May 13, they will make history at the University’s Commencement when they walk across the platform to receive their degrees one after the other.

The milestone at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, is believed to be the first time quints have simultaneously graduated from a New Jersey higher ed institution, with the Povolos joining just a handful of other multiple siblings in the nation who celebrated their “quintessential” college experience by graduating from the same college in the same academic year.

From Montclair, the Povolos will earn degrees in five different majors:

• Victoria Povolo, Biochemistry; minor Italian
• Ludovico Povolo, Political Science, minor Pre-Law, Business
• Ashley Povolo, English, Teacher Education Program, certification in P-12
• Michael Povolo, Nutrition and Food Science, concentration Dietetics
• Marcus Povolo, Business Administration, concentration International Business

“Montclair helped us be together, but also helped us to become our own people, with our own majors, our own interests, our own friend groups,” Victoria says. “We customized our own paths, but we got to the finish line together.”

The siblings credit their parents, Paolo Povolo, a building engineer for Cushman & Wakefield, and Silvia Povolo, assistant housekeeping supervisor for the University, for encouraging them to follow their dreams and instilling both a strong work ethic and the importance of education.

“The support that they have for us, obviously, there’s a reason why we made it this far,” Victoria says. “Our parents always encourage us to do our best, and the best doesn’t look the same for everyone, which I think is also something we learned growing up and explains why we’re all doing different things.”

Marcus Povolo has landed a job with the financial giant JPMorgan Chase & Co. He’s the only sibling to live on campus, a move he made so that he could easily access the campus train station to commute to Jersey City for work and have a quiet place to study. To stay on track to graduate in four years, he took courses during the summer and winter breaks, asynchronous classes and expedited classes.

“This definitely wasn’t easy, managing full-time school and work,” Marcus says. “There were times where I figured doing one would be a lot easier. I just had to push myself through.”

Victoria plans to take a year off to work and save money for medical school to study forensic medicine. She’s held several undergraduate research positions in , opportunities she shared in the Amazon-series The College Tour. She’s currently researching personality disorders and interning in a morgue.

Michael Povolo, a student athlete, will continue at Montclair next fall to complete a 4+1 program, meaning after five years he will have earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Nutrition. He’s a defensive midfielder on the Red Hawks lacrosse team, interns at an assisted living community, and coaches youth lacrosse.

Ludovico Povolo, a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, is known by his college friends and at the restaurant where he works by his nickname, Vico. Before college he went by his middle name, Masha. His academic interests have also seen changes. While he once saw himself headed to a career in law, a professor pointed out that with his gregarious nature he might want to consider business. He found it a better fit with his evolving interests. He’ll shortly begin work as a sales and marketing representative for Techtronic Industries in northern New Jersey.

Ashley Povolo, a future teacher, is completing her clinical experience as a high school advanced placement English teacher. She works as a University Fellow and studied abroad in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, which she says took her outside the comfort zone of being part of a big family as she navigated the experience on her own. Ashley wrote a poem about how their birth order (Victoria, the oldest, Vico, Ashley, Michael and Marcus, the youngest by minutes) has shaped their lives.

“They’re my best friends,” Ashley says. “We’ve grown up together and literally know everything about each other. So it did hit me the other day that graduation is the last big thing that I’m going to experience with them at the same time.”

The siblings frequently meet on campus for coffee and meals, and share rides to and from school. “I do need that closeness and seeing them all the time and being around them all the time,” Victoria says. “It completes what I need, and the others for sure think the same. We always regroup, no matter how far we’ve been, no matter where we’ve gone, we always come back and regroup.”

The Povolo quintuplets captured the public’s attention when they were born on the Fourth of July, 2002, and dubbed by a local newspaper “Five Little Firecrackers” on their first birthday.

As they’ve grown, the siblings, now 21, say they’ve enjoyed the curiosity that comes with the rarity of being a quint.

“Personally, I love the attention,” says Vico. “I love talking about it. It’s unique and refreshing.”

College graduation promises to put them in the spotlight again. The University, which will hold two Commencements for students based on their college or school, has made accommodations so the Povolos can receive their diplomas together at the morning ceremony on May 13.

“We’ll need a tissue box for my mom,” Michael says. “She’s definitely going to cry.”

Graduation for five, let alone college for five wasn’t a given for the Povolo quintuplets. “I remember our senior year [at Passaic Valley High School],” says Michael. “We were sitting down and asking, ‘What are we going to do for school?’ We talked about community college, jobs and training programs. Each of us wanted very different things in terms of majors. But the one thing we shared was applying to Montclair.”

The University was close enough to their home in Totowa, New Jersey, that the money they saved by commuting might just make college accessible. All five were accepted and Victoria reached out to the University’s financial aid office to ask about scholarships or loans they might qualify for.

“I was very aware of the financial situation of my family,” Victoria says. “If it had been too much, I would have bowed out and just not gone to college because I didn’t want to put that on my parents, and I didn’t want to put that on myself financially.”

But, as Victoria would learn, each of the Povolos qualified for Presidential Scholarships for high-achieving students, and also qualified for need-based grants and small merit scholarships that in total amounted to a tuition-free four years for the family.

At a meeting with high school guidance counselors in February 2020 – supposedly to “explore ways to pay for college” – with a giant replica check made payable for five higher educations.

Just the week prior, their parents had looked into refinancing their home. “And then Montclair pulls up and gives us a great deal,” Michael recalls. Times five, the scholarships and financial assistance made what seemed impossible, possible.

“It’s so big we can’t even put words to it,” says their mother, Silvia Povolo, recalling that moment and what it has since meant to the family. “I always sit down with them and say, ‘You had four years of college that came to your table and you had the chance to take it with no cost. Whatever you learned in these four years, it’s a blessing… it’s a key to open a golden door.’”

A few weeks before graduation, they were still deciding how to celebrate but leaning toward a backyard party.

“It’s a gigantic moment for them and for us,” says their father, Paolo. “So basically, we’ve been saying, ‘when one door closes another one opens.’ In the sense that college is coming to an end, we have to think of the future, we have to think of what’s next … and that is in the making.”

Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren. Photos by University Photographer Mike Peters.

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Friends and fellow ninth-graders at James J. Ferris High School in Jersey City Julian Aragon and Nelson Aquino and others said the March 8 event and its theme “Triumph Over Trauma,” created a safe space for the more than 250 high school students to hear and open up about similar experiences.

“They talked about trauma, which I think is important, because all people go through problems each day,” Aragon said. “It’s important to talk about this, so people don’t get stuck or suffer from depression.”

Both he and Aquino said they appreciated learning coping skills for dealing with trauma. “It makes me think about my friends who also have been through the same experience,” Aquino says. “It makes me think I can be a better person by being with them and helping them come through these experiences that they’re going through.”

Aquino says he wants to attend Montclair and study pre-law. “The event is inspiring because I’ve never seen anything like it. It makes me think about life after high school and being at a university,” he said.

For Wilfred Kounde, a senior at American History High School in Newark, the theme reinforced for him that he is on the right track. “As a person who wants to go into psychology, to hear grown men who look like me talk about their experiences with trauma gives me more hope to keep going with the field that I want to pursue,” he said.

��The event, now in its second year, gathered Black and Latinx young men and counselors from 15 high schools in more than half a dozen counties, as well as undergraduates from five colleges and universities, according to Tatiá M. Haywood, MEGA organizer and EOF counselor. The MEGA Symposium specifically targets young men to provide them with information and experiences to encourage them to pursue college degrees. It is among �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s efforts to counteract the precipitous drop in college and university enrollment of young men, particularly young men of color.

From the outset, the stage was set for the young men to feel safe in sharing their feelings. They also heard the message that asking for help is a sign of strength and not weakness. “How many of us have been harmed, scarred and made to believe that we are broken? We were made to believe that the suffering we carry in our hearts was a normal part of our lives but the truth is that our pain was not supposed to be a permanent state,” said psychologist Enmanuel Mercedes. “We’re not broken. We are wounded and in the process of healing. Today, I invite you to keep your hearts and your minds open as we share with each other the many paths that we have taken to triumph over trauma, so that we may find the healing we need for ourselves and support those that need healing in our respective communities.”

Assistant Provost for Special Programs, EOF and Academic Success Daniel Jean opened up about his personal life and delivered a message of inclusion. He shared how his family had moved a dozen times before he graduated high school, at one point becoming homeless and having to move in with relatives, as well as how violence had impacted his family.

“If you suffer from random violence and lost loved ones, you are not alone. If alcohol and drugs have impacted your life in any form or fashion, you are not alone,” he said. “If you plan to improve your family legacy, whatever that legacy is, you will not be alone. So that’s the overarching goal we’re trying to accomplish today, triumph over trauma…. We want you to understand that you will not be alone and that ultimately, you will get resources, strategies and tips for you to achieve all your personal professional dreams and not be stuck in any trauma or violence you experienced.”

The symposium again featured the popular Barbershop.EDU College Life Panel, where panelists address the audience as some participants are treated to haircuts. Matthew Salazar, a ����vlog senior majoring in Family Science and Human Development with a concentration in Family Services and current president of the Latin American Student Organization, shared with the audience that he sought services from Counseling and Psychological Services on campus when dealing with personal hardship and heartbreak.��

“There’s a sense that mental health is a brittle condition, and it’s not a strong asset. I believe that around each area of life, you need mental health to get you through the tough parts, especially through college where you’re battling imposter syndrome, stress, anxiety and worries that you might not succeed,” Salazar said. “I think one healthy way of dealing with stress and mental health challenges is seeking therapy. Everyone should find outlets, through their teachers or advisors or people in your environment – family members, friends – to talk about stuff.”

Asked to share some coping strategies, Salazar told the audience that he likes to workout. “I think working out keeps your mind right, keeps your body right and keeps you spiritually in tune with yourself. Everybody should try to find something that really uplifts them physically, mentally, that gives them joy…and work through it all.”

For Omar Santos, a senior from East Side High School in Newark, the symposium provided an opportunity for an inaugural higher education campus visit. “It’s my first time ever going to college in general,” he said. “It’s been great.”

This year’s symposium included more cultural programming, including drum, dance and spoken-word performances by the troupe Culture Lovers; a trio also performed another spoken word titled “Baggage” that illustrated the burdens and expectations that can weigh down young men of color, particularly if they are first-generation college students, and encouraged them to lean on one another.

The program included an awards presentation. Carolina E. González, a former assistant dean at Montclair and now chief of staff and senior research associate at Bank Street College of Education, was presented with the MEGA Founder Award by Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. Also honored with MEGA Impact Awards were Altarik White, founder of Leaders for Life, presented by Jean; the student organization The Brotherhood/La Hermandad, presented by Jeronimo Valcarcel, EOF Counselor; Robert Reid, professor of Family Science and Human Development, presented by Rahjaun Gordon, director of EOF; and alumnus Michael Spence ’14, a pastor and motivational speaker who works with youth, whose award was presented by Rob Gilbert, sports psychologist and associate professor of Exercise Science and Physical Education.

PHOTO GALLERY

Story by Staff Writer Sylvia A. Martinez. Photos by John J. LaRosa for ����vlog.

The five University programs that participate in the survey include the master’s in Business Administration (MBA), master’s in Education, master’s in Information Technology, master’s in Business and master’s in Nursing.

Highlights from the 2024 Best Online Programs Rankings:

• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s online Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program is ranked No. 15 in the nation and No. 1 in New Jersey. The education programs survey also ranked certain specialty areas, including Educational Administration and Supervision, in which the University also ranked at No. 15.
• �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s ranked at No. 74 in the nation, up 11 spots from 2023, and ranked second in the state. The program ranked at No. 71 in the nation.
• The University’s Master of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Applied Information Technology (Professional Science Master’s) is ranked No. 47, the highest ranking the program has received since participating in the survey.
• In its second appearance in the rankings, the University’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, launched in 2018, had a substantial increase, improving nearly 50 spots to No. 77 and is tied for second in New Jersey.

U.S. News & World Report program rankings are based on scores from five categories – student engagement, services and technologies, student excellence, faculty credentials and training, and opinions of academic experts.

“Our mission is to ensure students across disciplines can have access to affordable, high-quality educational options that meet them where they are,” says Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. “This latest recognition by U.S. News & World Report is a reflection of our efforts to ensure we are at the forefront of creating curricula and using educational technologies that serve graduates both now and in the future, and that support their 21st-century work and lives.”

Montclair’s Online Offerings

Montclair also offers several other online graduate degree and certificate options designed to equip working professionals with career-enhancing skills, including:

• A Master of Arts in Child Advocacy and Policy
• A low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Dance
• A Master of Arts in Social Research and Analysis
• A Master of Arts in Teaching Middle Grades Mathematics
• A Master of Science in Accounting
• Graduate certificate and certification programs in advocacy, business, education and technology for those who want to build out or update their skills.

For more information on all of ����vlog’s online graduate programs, visit .��Learn more about �ѴDzԳٳ���������’s rankings by visiting .

“The dialogues, which were critical and robust, were not politicized,” says Associate Teaching and Learning Professor Mayida Zaal. “Rather, they focused on recognizing one another’s humanity. Students shared that it was impactful to attend such an event on our campus given that it provided an authentic intellectual space that pushed their thinking.”

Zaal, an activist scholar committed to issues of social justice and equity, co-hosted the November 3-4 conference at Montclair along with Rhea Almeida, the conference’s founder and the director of in Somerset, New Jersey, and Deja Amos, operations manager at which supports the needs of youths who are experiencing behavioral, emotional, social, developmental and mental health challenges.

Among the 35 speakers and panelists was Minnijean Brown-Trickey, one of the so-called “Little Rock 9” – nine African American students who collectively resisted opposition to desegregate Little Rock Central High School in 1957, with protection from federal troops. Since then, Brown-Trickey has been an advocate with a lifelong commitment to peacemaking, environmental issues, developing youth leadership, diversity education, cross-cultural communication, and gender and social justice advocacy.

In feedback after the conference, one student wrote “I was honored to be in the presence of Ms. MinnieJean Brown-Trickey. Her testimony was powerful and her vulnerability to share her recognition that she experienced sorrow underneath the anger was profound.”

The Montclair centers, offices and departments co-sponsoring the event were the Office of the Provost, Department of Teaching and Learning, Center of Pedagogy, Montclair Network for Educational Renewal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Religion and Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy.

The two days of dialogue, reflections, panels, performances and presentations included such topics as “Reparative Voices for the Injuries of Enslavement and Genocide: Unveiling Hidden Narratives of Black Belonging, Community in Appalachia and the Holocaust,” “Dance as Expression of Liberation for Deaf Individuals,” “Redefining Organizations as Spaces for Racial and Gender Equity,” and “Immigrant Justice.”

There were several performances featured throughout the conference including: , whose mission is to challenge social and cultural narratives through professional theater; the , which seeks to abolish oppression through live interactive performance; the , educating the general public about Indigenous American heritage through song, dance and theater; the Congolese dance company , which promotes Central African culture through dialogue, theater and history; and international African American deaf choreographer, dancer, instructor and advocate

“Every presenter showed that they cared about us as an audience,” one student wrote in the conference feedback. Another called it a “transformative experience.”