African refugee, humanitarian and entrepreneur
Undergraduate Commencement Speaker
Kayongo and his family fled a civil war in Uganda and settled in the United States when he was just 10 years old. Now a successful entrepreneur, Kayongo is a renowned expert in environmental sustainability and global health as the founder of the Global Soap Project, which takes donated, melted, purified, and reprocessed hotel soap and redistributes it to vulnerable populations around the world. Currently, 5,500 hotels are members of the Global Soap Project recycling program in the United States alone, and the list of participating countries has recently expanded to 90.
Kayongo is also the CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, which capitalizes on the management and leadership experience he has developed over the last 20 years working for Nobel Peace Prize-winning organizations such as Amnesty International and the American Friends Service Committee.
He has been featured as a TEDx speaker and at several corporate and university forums. He recently coauthored The Roadmap to Success, with Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. Ken Blanchard. Within this work, Kayongo focuses on "Understanding the Instructive Power of Failure When Building Successful Ventures."
Kayongo has also been a guest on several news programs, including the Christiana Amanpour Show and the BBC's Focus on Africa. He worked on a new book, released in 2016, that focuses on how he found his calling in life as a former refugee.
His life has inspired a new play which debuts this week in Atlanta, Ga. Idi Amin, America and a Bar of Soap is a solo show written by Patricia Henritze and directed by Matt Huff. The play follows Derreck from his childhood in Uganda under Idi Amin’s brutal regime, through his experiences in Kenya as a refugee, and finally into the United States as an immigrant and ultimately a citizen. In 2011 Kayongo was chosen as a CNN Hero for founding the Global Soap project.
Kayongo is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Blackhawk Helicopter Crew Chief Harley Pretty, on active duty in Egypt with the U.S. Army, traveled almost 7,000 miles to congratulate his girlfriend Deanna Bradley when she graduated with a degree in social work at Friday's Undergraduate Commencement ceremony. But Deanna didn't know that Harley had an even bigger surprise in mind....
This has been the most LIT graduation in existence 😭😭😂🙌🏼 @allylovez0424 #SCSU2017
— Sirena (@simsirena) May 19, 2017
Owl creativity #SCSU2017 #SCSUOwls #Commencement2017 🎓🦉🎉 pic.twitter.com/QHaw1IvYgP
— SCSU (Southern) (@SCSUtweet) May 19, 2017
#SCSU2017 pic.twitter.com/7G5S75fSTS
— Daniel E. Suzano (@DaNnSuzano) May 19, 2017
#scsu2017 and away we goooo!! pic.twitter.com/EpX4TX5Ehk
— Sandy Cutler (@Trumbullcthomes) May 19, 2017
#SCSU2017 pic.twitter.com/JKCpyEmXsS
— Vic D'Amato (@Vic1156) May 19, 2017
Best commencement I have ever attended. #scsu2017 #inspired
— Thea Bourke Martin (@tbmlegal) May 19, 2017
#SCSU2017
— Kinky Coily Bruja 🌿 (@OctoberSapphire) May 19, 2017
I finally did it 😄😄 pic.twitter.com/ZuS3arYlXn
Grateful to have had these two humans as parents, WE did it👨👩👧 #classof2017 @SCSUtweet pic.twitter.com/eNhK2mk3tq
— Sandra Gomez-Aceves (@SanGomez_News) May 19, 2017
Thank You! @SCSU_Owls @SCSUtweet @scsueqroom it's been an incredible journey forever grateful and thankful best 5 years of my life.
— Alex DeAngelo (@porterdeangelo) May 19, 2017
So proud of @sampeltierr! Honored to be here today! #SCSU2017 @WorcesterAcdmy pic.twitter.com/fmLiVG6gNT
— David Dykeman (@coachdykeman) May 19, 2017
.@SCSUtweet graduation features a surprise marriage proposalhttps://t.co/i2DfRtkHD6 pic.twitter.com/TgUROeHejM
— Hartford Courant (@hartfordcourant) May 19, 2017
Son Joey graduating from Southern #Connecticut State University today w/ degree in Spts Management, unbelievable, 4 yrs flew by #SCSU2017 pic.twitter.com/JWsNgGLoGH
— Dan Nowak (@NHRDanNowak) May 19, 2017
From my graduation to yours. CONGRATS KAYLEY!!! @kayleyannnx 🎈🎉💙 #SCSU2017 pic.twitter.com/TilG9J3e4K
— Kristen Mourao (@kristenmourao) May 19, 2017
Congrats School of Ed graduates!!#scsu2017@SCSUtweet. @DeanHegedus. @SCSUTopOwl pic.twitter.com/pNBk3Jqaxw
— Adam Goldberg (@ProfG_SCSU) May 19, 2017
More education grads. #SCSU2017 pic.twitter.com/3pmNnftnBo
— Adam Goldberg (@ProfG_SCSU) May 19, 2017
May 19, 2017: Graduation 👩🏼🎓@SCSUtweet
— Maggie LeGrand (@maggles41) May 19, 2017
Summer 2017: Internship 👩🏼💻September 2017: @WaltDisneyWorld @WDWToday 👸🏼 pic.twitter.com/PwpSJal15h
Share yours using #SCSU2017
'88, M.S., '94, president and CEO of Marrakech, Inc.
LaTorra received her bachelor's and master of science degrees in special education at Southern Connecticut State University. In addition to her 30+ years of service at Marrakech, Inc., she worked for the Brooklyn School for Special Children and as an adjunct instructor for the University of Bridgeport’s IDEAL program and at Southern. She serves as a volunteer on several nonprofit boards. She started at Marrakech in an entry-level position and grew along with the organization, pioneering new supports and services as well as implementing sound business and administrative practices.
Marrakech is a diverse nonprofit organization that has been providing person-centered, unique, and cost-conscious human services for children and adults, with and without disabilities, in Connecticut for over 40 years. The supports provided include career training and support, intensive medical and behavioral treatment, safe affordable housing, family services and access to community resources. Out of the multitude of services provided, the two shared outcomes are improved self sufficiency and quality of life.
M.S., ’94, 6th Year, ’99, former Deputy Superintendent, New Haven Public Schools
Canelli, who received the 2012 Southern Connecticut State University School of Education Outstanding Alumni Award, started out with the New Haven school district in 1978 at New Haven’s Troup Middle School, teaching 7th grade reading. Her career in the New Haven Public Schools advanced from teacher (1978-90), to Reading Supervisor (2001-05) implementing and managing literacy curriculum, to Director of Instruction (2005-08) overseeing nine city schools in need of improvement and evaluation of administrators, to her position as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. She was appointed Deputy Superintendent in 2013 and retired at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
Canelli has presented nationally at numerous reading and education conferences, developed district-wide curriculum and staff development experiences and served on numerous state committees. She earned a bachelor’s degree in intermediate-upper education (cum laude), master’s degree in reading (magna cum laude) and her sixth-year degree in educational leadership, all from Southern.
Welcome to the Southern Connecticut State University alumni family!
We serve as a virtual conduit for our alumni, by offering networking opportunities, both social and professional, family events, seminars and panels about the issues that matter most to you and of course, Homecoming.
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