Itanwa Orinwa 2025
Friday, May 9, 2025, 6:30-8:30 p.m., JMA Wireless Dome
Run of Show
| Schedule | Presenters, Speakers and Performers |
|---|---|
| Processional | 2025 Graduates |
| Land Acknowledgment and Welcome | Ryan Nkongnyu ’25, College of Visual and Performing Arts |
| Poem | Arianna Wilson ’25, College of Arts and Sciences |
| Black National Anthem | Shakira Santos ’24, G’25, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; Minetsa Cotto Ortiz ’24, G’25, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; and Reya Thompson ’25, College of Arts and Sciences |
| Opening Remarks | Dawn Singleton, Vice President, Student Experience Division |
| Student Speaker | Tyler Xavier Gentry ’25, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications |
| Video Performance | Jada Knight ’25, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Olivia Stepter ’25, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications |
| History of Stoles | Tanisha M. Jackson, Assistant Professor, African American Studies and Executive Director, Community Folk Art Center |
| Distribution of Kente Stoles | Amber Saint Joy, Program Coordinator, Parent and Family Services; Armando Martinez, Director of Inclusion and Belonging, Posse Liaison, Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Karess N. Gillespie, Assistant Director, Student Living; and Alonzo D. Turner, Doctoral Student, School of Education |
| Closing Remarks | Minetsa Cotto Ortiz ’24, G’25, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Liliana R. Germain ’25, College of Arts and Sciences |
| Recessional | 2025 Graduates |
Event Details
Itanwa Orinwa (Our Story, Our Song) is a celebration dedicated to creating space for community building, connection and recognition of graduating students of color. The name “Itanwa Orinwa” translates from Yoruba, a language spoken in southwestern Nigeria, to “Our Story, Our Song.”
A significant part of Itanwa Orinwa is the distribution of authentic Kente stoles. The Kente cloth is a meaningful sartorial material with a rich historical presence in our culture, representing the pride we hold in our African heritage. Each aspect of the cloth carries symbolic weight. Gold signifies status and serenity; yellow represents fertility; green embodies renewal; blue symbolizes pure spirit and harmony; red represents passion; and black signifies union and spiritual awareness.
This tradition is adapted from Ghana, where Kente is a royal cloth, and its presentation serves as a loving rite of passage gift.
Itanwa Orinwa Committee
| Photo | Name | Role | School or Department |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Sita Camara ’25 | Student | College of Arts and Sciences |
 |
Moises (Mo) Ferreras | Associate Director | Student Engagement |
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Liliana R. Germain ’25 | Student | College of Arts and Sciences |
 |
Karess N. Gillespie | Assistant Director | Student Living |
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Amber Saint Joy | Program Coordinator | Parent and Family Services |
 |
Debbie L. McKie | Senior Program Coordinator | Fraternity and Sorority Affairs |
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Ryan Nkongnyu ’25 | Student | College of Visual and Performing Arts |
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Minetsa Cotto Ortiz ’24, G’25 | Student | S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications |
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Aaliyah Muolo Vergara | Manager | Intercultural Collective |
 |
Marissa Willingham | Assistant Director | BIPOC Student Success |
Belonging and Student Success Senior Reception
Join the Intercultural Collective’s Belonging and Student Success Senior Reception for students and their families immediately following Commencement from noon-2 p.m. in Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Itanwa Orinwa Survey
We kindly request that you complete the Itanwa Orinwa Survey.