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Maya Angelou — Commencement Speaker Commencement speaker Maya Angelou, acclaimed author and poet, told the graduates that they are like “rainbows in the clouds’’ and possess in their future the possibility to change the world. “Here you are in this excitement,’’ Angelou told the audience. “But, remember there is a world of difference between being trained and educated. Being educated is a lifetime adventure.’’ During her address, Angelou recited a poem she wrote for the graduating class (see page 1). M ore than 30 years ago, author and poet extraordinaire Maya Angelou said she received one of her first honorary doctorate degrees from Kean University. While delivering the commencement address for the 2009 class in Kean’s Nathan Weiss Graduate College, Angelou joked that she hopes another 30 years won’t pass by before receiving another Kean invitation. Through a distinguished career filled with countless highlights, Angelou, 80, said she continues to be a student of the world. “Every part of my journey reasonates with these students,’’ she said, referring to the grads. “I’m in process, just as they are. I never feel like I’m finished with the business of educating. I’m in school right now, studying divinity in an online eight-week course.’’ A St. Louis native, Angelou has been called one of the most visible and best-known chroniclers of the African-American experience through her series of six autobiographical books and thought-provoking works of poetry. She came to prominence in 1969 with her first book, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, which documented the toils and triumphs during her first 17 years of life. Before the book’s release, however, Angelou was very active in the Civil Rights Movement, with slain civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. appointing her to serve as northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Angelou’s volume of poetry, Just Give me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Diiie was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. During the 1990s, she emerged as a popular presence on the lecture circuit, making more than 80 appearances a year. In 1993, at President William Jefferson Clinton’s inauguration, she became the first poet to recite a poem, On The Pulse of Morning, since Robert Frost did so at John F. Kennedy’s swearing in. During her commencement address to graduate students, Angelou said she hoped their degrees would help them to not only earn more but to be better people. "Education serves you so you can be of service. I'm always skittish when people say, 'I don't want Click here to see and hear Maya Angelou's inspiring commencement address. to be used.' To me, anybody that doesn't want to be used is useless. What you don't want to be is misused or abused.'' — MAYA ANGELOU KEANFOCUS • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 11 Page 3
Wilf Builds a Legacy of Philantrophic Proportions Just as credible as his reputation for building homes and shopping centers across the country, Joseph Wilf has established a formidable identity as one of the country’s most notable philanthropists. Joseph Wilf’s propensity for charitable giving hasn’t gone unnoticed at Kean University. Through the Wilf Family Foundation, more than 100 students have been awarded scholarships. At commencement ceremonies for graduate students, Kean conferred an honorary doctorate degree to Wilf, who has served on the university’s Board of Trustees for more than 15 years. Wilf’s wife, Elizabeth, sons, Mark and Zygi (principal owner of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings) and Zygi’s wife, Audrey, looked on as Wilf accepted the prestigious honor. Eugene Enlow, chair of Kean's Board of Trustees, called Wilf a perfect example of "loyalty, dedication and commitment.'' "Joe has never forgotten his heritage and how it shapes the course of his life,'' Enslow said. "He has been instrumental in educating our students about tolerance and the sanctity of human rights.'' A Holocaust survivor, Wilf emigrated to the U.S. from Poland in 1950. Four years later, Wilf and his brother, Harry, founded Garden Homes, Inc., which under their nurturing blossomed into a national leader in retail, commercial and private residential development. Aside from success in business, Wilf and his family have played major roles in the world of philantrophy. Through the family’s foundation, funds have been donated to such worthy causes as United Way, the American Cancer Society, Saint Barnabas Medical Center and the Elizabeth General Medical Center. Within the Jewish community, the Wilfs have also led by example, founding the American Society of Yad Vashem and supporting groups such as the United Jewish Appeal, Israel Bonds and the Jewish Education Center of Elizabeth. Wilf is also a founding member of the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. and the Kean University Holocaust Resource Center. KEANFOCUS • VOLUME 1, ISSUE 11 Page 4
Page 1 and 2: Volume 1 Issue 11 K E A N G R A D U
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Page 7 and 8: Keen Sense of Commitment Helped The
Page 9 and 10: Photo Gallery KEANFOCUS • VOLUME

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