Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Cabrini University Partners with School District of Philadelphia

December 4, 2019

Cabrini University is one of the first colleges and universities to partner with the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) in Pennsylvania’s pilot program Aspiring to Educate (A2E), which aims to increase the diversity and number of teachers in the Commonwealth. In addition to Cabrini and the SDP, the initial partnership involves the state Department of Education (PDE), six other colleges and universities, and local education and youth organizations.

“Aspiring to Educate will help Pennsylvania attract, recruit, train, and retain a new generation of teachers and school leaders,” said Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera during the public announcement on November 20, noting that A2E is the first program of its kind. “It will not only help the Commonwealth address the shortage of educators and the lack of diversity in the teacher pipeline but will also provide a career pathway for students into the teaching profession.”

“Diversifying the teacher education workforce and the teacher candidate pool is a priority for all of us as it strengthens our programs, classrooms and communities,” said Beverly R. Bryde, EdD, Dean of the Cabrini School of Education. “The Aspiring to Educate initiative from the PDE is impressive and important. We are proud to be partners in this program’s launch.”
Pennsylvania state educators noted that the number of people seeking teaching certification has decreased by more than 65 percent since 2013. Additionally, of the Commonwealth’s 120,000 educators, 96 percent are white—making it the least diverse in the country.

The SDP will work with Cabrini and the other colleges and universities to design individual plans for academically successful high school juniors or seniors interested in becoming teachers. Students who enroll will receive free or reduced tuition through the institution as well as mentoring through the Philadelphia Youth Network and the Center for Black Educator Development. They will be encouraged to teach in Philadelphia’s most high-need areas after they graduate.

To learn more:
https://www.cabrini.edu/about/media-hub/news/2019/aspiring-to-educate-a2e-partnership2

An Annual Rite of Blessing

November 21, 2019

Each year, at Cabrini University the staff and volunteers of Campus Ministry offer the opportunity to students, faculty, staff and administration to have their residence hall rooms, offices and/or classrooms blessed.

This year, MSC candidate Evarlyn Ndunge came to the MSC Cottage to bless the offices and the meeting spaces.

Survivor Focuses on Red Flags of Human Trafficking

November 14, 2019

Cabrini University’s ECG Anti-Human Trafficking class, the Barbara and John Jordan Center and the Cabrini Action & Advocacy Coalition (Cabrini Closet) recently organized an evening at Cabrini University with guest speaker, Tammy McDonnell, an activist, advocate and human trafficking survivor. The following are excerpts of the account of the presentation which appeared in Catholic Philly.com.

Human trafficking survivor Tammy McDonnell shared her experiences on November 6 at Cabrini University and, through a panel discussion that followed, raised awareness among students and residents about the crime of trafficking — a form of modern-day slavery — its prevalence in Philadelphia-area communities and how to combat it.
Human trafficking occurs when force, fraud, or coercion is used to control another person for the purpose of engagement in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against that person’s will.

“Slavery is death,” said McDonnell, who is also an activist for Covenant House in Philadelphia. Human trafficking treats people as disposable, she said.

“Trafficking happens in your own backyard,” she said, adding that it is so prevalent, “you can be sitting next to a survivor, and not even know it.”
Her human trafficking story began when she sold her car for $800 to a man that she now realizes was a “recruiter,” an intermediary who referred her to someone who could give her a job that she needed, which “was the start of everything.”

Looking back, she now realizes her trafficker was a predator who took advantage of her vulnerabilities. She felt trapped and was too afraid to break away because she needed to protect her family from the trafficker, who made threats against her mother and her children.
Then one day, she said, “this cosmic mental switch went off, and I said, ‘I’m done.’” She fled Philadelphia for New Jersey, where she was homeless and subsisted by committing petty theft crimes, such as breaking into parked cars and stealing items which she sold to purchase food and drugs.
The crisis center referred McDonnell to a women’s recovery program, where she lived with Catholic nuns for 18 months. During her recovery, one of the sisters recommended McDonnell for a position as survivor advocate for Covenant House in Philadelphia. Now, her role has been expanded also to include outreach worker.

“I can raise awareness because it’s so necessary,” McDonnell said. She advocates for laws to prevent human trafficking in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “I knew nothing about the law, except how to break it.” But now she attends community college, pursuing paralegal studies, and hopes eventually to attend law school. “My life is helping other people,” she says.

Visionaries Gala Recognizes Four Cabrini Honorees

November 6, 2019

The fifth annual Cabrini University Visionaries Gala honored awardees Joseph J. Romano, PhD, and Sharon C Schwarze, PhD, Professors Emeriti of Philosophy; Abel Rodríguez, JD (’01) Founding Director of the Cabrini Center on Immigration; and Joan Buzzallino (’66), Trustee Emerita, Vice President, IBM (ret.) and raised more than $192,000.

“My Cabrinian education provided the foundation for my career and my life,” said Board of Trustees Chair Frank Emmerich Jr. (’92) as he welcomed guests to Cabrini’s Annual Visionaries Gala, held this year November 1 at Pomme in Radnor. “The Cabrini experience empowers students to find their passions and to channel that positive energy into creating change, doing good, and Living with Purpose.”

“I believe that everyone who has ever experienced the Cabrini spirit knows what a special place it is,” said University President Donald B. Taylor, PhD. “We’re here tonight to ensure that our beloved institution continues to grow, to safeguard the Cabrini experience for students of all backgrounds, and to secure the Cabrini mission to provide an Education of the Heart for future generations.”
The four individuals recognized with awards at the gala, along with the student speaker, are living examples of that positive energy and the Cabrini spirit.

Haunted Mansion

October 26, 2019

Tarana Burke Receives Presitigious Award from Cabrini University

September 26, 2019

Thursday, September 19, Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too movement and social justice activist, received the Ivy Young Willis and Martha Willis Dale Award during a ceremony at Cabrini University. Awarded annually, the Ivy Young Willis and Martha Willis Dale Award recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions in the field of public affairs.

In October 2017, #MeToo became a viral phenomenon that quickly spread around the world. Burke emerged as a global leader in the evolving conversation around sexual violence and the need for survivor-centered solutions. Her theory of using empathy to empower survivors is changing the way the world thinks about and engages with survivors. Her belief that healing isn’t a destination, but a journey has touched and inspired millions of survivors who previously lived with the pain, shame, and trauma of their assaults in isolation.

Following her presentation which was conversational in format, Ms. Burke offered kind, compassionate and supportive words to students who asked questions or offered comments. ~excerpts from Cabrini U. website

Carry the Light Liturgy

September 11, 2019

At this special liturgy, please join members of the Cabrini University community to remember those who have gone before us.

Cabrini University Named Among Most Transformative Colleges in Nation by Money Magazine.

September 4, 2019

Cabrini University has been named one of the most transformative colleges in the nation by Money Magazine. Cabrini was one of only four Pennsylvania colleges named in the top-50 ranking, which evaluated graduation rates, graduate earnings, and student loan repayment.

The magazine based their rankings on an institution’s “value add,” an indicator to showcase schools whose alumni report high levels of success.

Cabrini’s mission, an Education of the Heart, empowers students to be change-makers in their communities, fields of study, and the world. This transformative pedagogy is dedicated to educating the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and is realized through hands-on learning experiences, student activities and athletics, and service opportunities.