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After a year spent amplifying student voices, expanding scholarships and strengthening student support across campus, Student Government Association President Leila Jones and her executive board will share the stage with University dignitaries at �鶹��ý����’s Spring 2026 Commencement.��

Jones will address her classmates at two ceremonies, Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12, at Prudential Center in Newark, drawing on an unconventional path to the podium that she now sees as her greatest strength.

“You’re not defined by previous versions of yourself, mistakes you’ve made or your major,” she says. “You can evolve so much by putting yourself in unfamiliar and different spaces.”

Leading together

Jones’ impact is deeply connected to the work of the Student Government Association’s executive team. Together, they oversaw the SGA scholarship fund, awarding scholarships totaling $31,500 this spring semester alone, including new funding for students completing unpaid internships.��

They also partnered with the Red Hawk Pantry to address food insecurity through food drives, meal vouchers and awareness campaigns. The team also helped cultivate future leaders by moderating a Student Leadership Conference for incoming high school students.

Jones will graduate with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Economics and continue at �鶹��ý���� through the University’s 4+1 program to earn a master’s degree in Cybersecurity, with long‑term plans to pursue a career in patent law.

Jones will share the Commencement stage with her fellow executive board members:

• Carmela Beitler, a Psychology major with a Social Work minor, helped shape SGA’s scholarship review process and says her leadership experience taught her “how to be a resource for students, when to guide them and how to recognize what they’re capable of.” After graduation, Beitler plans to pursue her Master of Social Work at Rutgers University and one day specialize in school social work.
• Danny Gonzalez, a Theatre Studies major, co‑led initiatives like Know Your Rights, an immigration‑resource information board. Gonzalez will earn his degree in August and will continue at �鶹��ý���� as part of the 4+1 program, which allows students to earn both a BA and an MA in just five years.
• Edlyn Eugene, a Business Administration major concentrating in Marketing, led SGA’s outreach and social media strategy – boosting student engagement and election turnout and helping plan Senior Sendoff and other senior‑week events.

As Jones reflects on remarks she’ll give at Commencement, she keeps returning to the guidance that helped her grow into her role.

Grace through all seasons

Jones credits her mentor, Dean of Students Margaree Coleman-Carter, with grounding her throughout her journey. “I knew I wanted to do more, but I didn’t have that representation growing up and didn’t feel like I had the space to speak,” Jones says.

“Dean Carter told me, ‘Have grace through all seasons in your life,’” she adds. “That stayed with me – knowing it’s going to be OK, even when it doesn’t feel like it.”

Outside of SGA, Jones taught yoga at the Student Recreation Center. “Even though Computer Science might not correlate with being in student government, those core values – discipline and structure – shaped me as a leader,” she explains. “Teaching yoga taught me how to slow down, be soft and think through every decision that I make.”

“Now I feel confident stepping into rooms and finding my voice.”

This story is part of a series celebrating �鶹��ý����’s graduates – students who embody the University’s mission to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.