{"id":61567,"date":"2026-05-07T18:32:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=61567"},"modified":"2026-05-07T18:43:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:43:53","slug":"celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In his welcome remarks at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding\u2019s annual Celebration of Blessings, <strong>Kory Schaeffer MA \u201924<\/strong> had one final request, not of the 17 CJP graduates, but of the families, friends, and loved ones seated with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you see them pouring themselves into the work of justice and peace, and you see them giving and giving, remind them to pause, please,\u201d Schaeffer, director of programs at CJP, said. \u201cRemind them to rest. Remind them to seek out something joyful because this work needs them, but it needs them whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ceremony honors graduates of CJP\u2019s master\u2019s degree and graduate certificate programs and was held Sunday afternoon in Martin Chapel following EMU\u2019s 108th annual Commencement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year marks the 30th anniversary celebration of the CJP, which was co-founded and led by <strong>John Paul Lederach<\/strong>. His daughter, <strong>Dr. Angela Lederach<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/commencement-speaker-dr-lederach-says-emu-and-cjp-alumni-taught-her-to-speak-the-language-of-justice\/\">delivered the Commencement address<\/a> earlier Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181037\/DSC03824c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181037\/DSC03824c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181037\/DSC03824c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181037\/DSC03824c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181037\/DSC03824c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61582\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03851c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03851c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03851c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03851c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03851c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61574\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181032\/DSC03872c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181032\/DSC03872c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181032\/DSC03872c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181032\/DSC03872c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181032\/DSC03872c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Graduates from EMU&#8217;s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding are embraced and recognized by CJP faculty and staff during the annual Celebration of Blessings in Martin Chapel on Sunday.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>In the heartfelt ceremony, CJP faculty and staff members <strong>Dr. Gloria Rhodes<\/strong>, <strong>Amy Knorr<\/strong>, <strong>Dr.<\/strong> <strong>Paula Ditzel Facci<\/strong>, and <strong>Dr. Joe Cole<\/strong> provided words of tribute for each graduate. The following CJP graduates were recognized:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Diego Crespo Guido<\/strong> of Mexico City, Mexico<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jamila Gaskins<\/strong> of Los Angeles<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hannah Gilman<\/strong> of Salt Lake City<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chelsea Griffin<\/strong> of Flagstaff, Arizona<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leslie Meja<\/strong> of Nairobi, Kenya<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jacob Sankara<\/strong> of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CatiAdele Slater <\/strong>of Upperville, Virginia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tamera Vaughan-Drozd<\/strong> of Vienna, Virginia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Graduate Certificate in Conflict Transformation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Spike Coleman<\/strong> of Charleston, South Carolina<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Devin Withrow<\/strong> of Winston-Salem, North Carolina<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Master of Arts in Restorative Justice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Maria Arias<\/strong> of Viedma, Argentina<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LaToya Fernandez<\/strong> of West Hartford, Connecticut<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sof\u00eda Garcia Pini<\/strong> of Buenos Aires, Argentina<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Graduate Certificate in Restorative Justice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>R\u00e9ka Bord\u00e1s-Simon<\/strong> of Ny\u00edregyh\u00e1za, Hungary<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mallery McShine<\/strong> of Fredericksburg, Virginia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Josiah Ludwick<\/strong> of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tyler Stanley<\/strong> of Harrisonburg, Virginia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03829c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03829c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03829c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03829c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181039\/DSC03829c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61571\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03678c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03678c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03678c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03678c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03678c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61572\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03705c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03705c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03705c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03705c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181030\/DSC03705c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Gloria Rhodes \u201988 (left) and Kory Schaeffer MA \u201924 (right), co-directors of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, offer their welcome remarks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>As the graduates go out to create a more just and peaceful world, they also weave a web of connections and build an extended community of learning, Professor <strong>Dr. Gloria Rhodes \u201988<\/strong>, academic director of CJP, said in her remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re a small community, and EMU is a very small university,\u201d Rhodes said. \u201cBut together, we are enormous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She said there are more than 23,000 EMU graduates around the world, including more than 800 who have earned degrees from CJP\u2019s master\u2019s programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a CJP alumnus, Schaeffer said he shared the graduates\u2019 joy and quiet solidarity, as well as their sense of how much they had cared, questioned, and transformed throughout their time at CJP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis work was never just the books you read or the papers you wrote,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was also the gray hairs, the tears, the tightness in your body, and the moments you questioned everything. It was the weight, literal or metaphorical, that comes with doing work that is both deeply personal and profoundly collective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181031\/DSC03714c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61573\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181031\/DSC03714c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181031\/DSC03714c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181031\/DSC03714c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181031\/DSC03714c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LaToya Fernandez, an MA in restorative justice graduate, shares the journey that led her to CJP.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61579\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03775c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03775c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03775c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03775c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03775c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61578\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03754c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61578\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03754c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03754c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03754c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181036\/DSC03754c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conflict transformation graduates Hannah Gilman (left) and Jamila Gaskins (right) reflect on their experiences in the program.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Graduates <strong>LaToya Fernandez<\/strong>, <strong>Jamila Gaskins<\/strong>, <strong>Hannah Gilman<\/strong>, and <strong>Jacob Sankara <\/strong>shared their perspectives. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fernandez recalled visiting Ghana a couple of years ago and experiencing something there that changed her life. \u201cI grieved there, I left my burdens there, I cried for my ancestors,\u201d she said. \u201cI learned things about myself that I didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She left Africa with a mission to bring that sense of healing to her communities and to the United States. She had applied to another school\u2019s restorative justice program, which offered her a full scholarship, when a friend encouraged her to learn more about CJP. \u201cYou want to go to a place that\u2019s going to value you and all your decolonizing institution ways,\u201d Fernandez recalled her friend telling her. \u201cThat\u2019s exactly what happened. I came to EMU and I fell in love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gaskins, who spoke at <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/pride-love-and-joy-emus-2026-lavender-graduation-celebrates-lgbtq-graduates\/\">EMU\u2019s Lavender Graduation<\/a> two days prior, asked the crowd when they last breathed. \u201cNot a shallow breath, the kind most of us live on, tight chest, shoulders up near our ears, but a full breath. One that goes all the way down, opens up the belly, and reminds you that you are here, present, alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo many of us are chest breathers, and I say this with love and a little humor, because chest breathing is a perfectly functional way to stay alive, but it cuts us off,\u201d she said. \u201cIt blocks access to the richness of our emotional experience, the very experience this work demands we stay connected to. We cannot feel our way into someone else\u2019s suffering if we are numb to our own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gilman said their past two years in the program have involved real sacrifice, balancing work, family, stressful logistics, and a dream. There have been many hard moments and even some tears, but also triumphs, laughter, and joy. There were moments of fear, and they showed up anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat a unique experience it has been to do this in a place like CJP,\u201d she said. \u201cWith faculty and staff who knew us, challenged us, believed in us, and who, bless them, gave us extensions. I\u2019m so grateful to share this era of growth with you, this particular season of becoming, of stretching, of learning what we are made of and made for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181029\/DSC03639c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61570\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181029\/DSC03639c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181029\/DSC03639c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181029\/DSC03639c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181029\/DSC03639c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mukarabe Inandava-Makinto (right), a CJP student, her husband, Makinto GC \u201926 (left), and their son, Jo\u00ebl Friebe-Makinto, perform the musical prelude<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61575\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181033\/DSC03891c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181033\/DSC03891c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181033\/DSC03891c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181033\/DSC03891c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181033\/DSC03891c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" data-id=\"61576\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181034\/DSC03908c-1024x684.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181034\/DSC03908c-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181034\/DSC03908c-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181034\/DSC03908c-768x513.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07181034\/DSC03908c.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CJP students Virginia Maina and Kensly Cassy offer student blessings (left). Amy Knorr (right), CJP&#8217;s peacebuilding practice director, provides the graduate sending. \u201cThis is actually my favorite day of the entire year, even more than Christmas,&#8221; Knorr said. &#8220;And it\u2019s not because summer break begins tomorrow, but because we are sending forth so many graduates who will go on to change and transform the world.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>Sankara shared that he felt two emotions when he received his acceptance to the CJP program: excitement and intimidation. \u201cSome of my colleagues at [Mennonite Central Committee], when I was working there, had gone through the program, and they spoke about it with a kind of reverence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with those emotions came real anxiety. How would Sankara, an international student from Burkina Faso, find the money to fund his studies? He said his family\u2019s visa situation was also uncertain. \u201cI had to make a decision to trust God and move forward, even without having all the answers, and slowly things began to unfold,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He received a helpful scholarship from CJP and support from friends and family. Eventually, his family was able to come to the United States and was there to celebrate with him on Sunday. Sankara described CJP as more than a program, calling it a community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I say community, I don\u2019t mean a group of people who simply agree with each other,\u201d Sankara said. \u201cI mean a space where we celebrate, laugh together, and step on each other\u2019s feet, not once but repeatedly. But the difference is that we acknowledge it, address it, and grow through it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In his welcome remarks at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding\u2019s annual Celebration of Blessings, Kory Schaeffer MA \u201924 had one final request, not of the 17 CJP graduates, but <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":61568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,5583,12503,16077,17562,264,4513],"tags":[19028,18119,17236,17868,18454,5854,19056,11374,5948,19058,19057,19060,19043,19059,5690],"feature":[17427,17426,17241,17422],"class_list":["post-61567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-campus-community","category-cjp","category-commencement-alumni","category-digest","category-graduate-programs","category-student-life","tag-2026-commencement","tag-celebration-of-blessings","tag-cjp","tag-cjp-2","tag-cjp-graduation","tag-commencement","tag-dr-gloria-rhodes","tag-gloria-rhodes","tag-graduation","tag-hannah-gilman","tag-jacob-sankara","tag-jamila-gaskins","tag-kory-schaeffer","tag-latoya-fernandez","tag-peacebuilding","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature","feature-news-landing-page-main-feature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In his welcome remarks at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding\u2019s annual Celebration of Blessings, Kory Schaeffer MA \u201924 had one final request, not of the 17 CJP graduates, but\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-07T22:32:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-07T22:43:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"855\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/\",\"name\":\"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love - EMU News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-07T22:32:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-07T22:43:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":855},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\",\"name\":\"EMU News\",\"description\":\"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf\",\"name\":\"Ryan Cornell\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love - EMU News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love - EMU News","og_description":"In his welcome remarks at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding\u2019s annual Celebration of Blessings, Kory Schaeffer MA \u201924 had one final request, not of the 17 CJP graduates, but","og_url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/","og_site_name":"EMU News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite","article_published_time":"2026-05-07T22:32:38+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-07T22:43:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":855,"url":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ryan Cornell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@EMU_News","twitter_site":"@EMU_News","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ryan Cornell","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/","name":"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love - EMU News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-05-07T22:32:38+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-07T22:43:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/05\/07180259\/DSC03933c.jpeg","width":1280,"height":855},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/celebration-of-blessings-sends-off-cjp-graduates-with-joy-and-love\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Celebration of Blessings sends off CJP graduates with joy and love"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/","name":"EMU News","description":"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf","name":"Ryan Cornell"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61567"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61587,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61567\/revisions\/61587"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61567"},{"taxonomy":"feature","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature?post=61567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}