2013 ACES Barbeque by Juan Cerda ('16)

Among many of the educational benefits offered by the ACES Program at St. Joseph's College, there is a special date of the year when students are given a charming welcome to the college community. That is the ACES Barbeque Party. By uniting past ACES students with the new freshman class, this event demonstrates that relationships and the academic resources drawn from them are elemental for the success of every undergraduate student. This year, incoming students had the opportunity to commence their educational journeys. That is why the ACES community gathered, to express the joy of upcoming learning and to celebrate the opening of new horizons.

Besides the good food and the cool temperature during the event, it is crucial to mention that this year’s barbeque resulted in a dance party. Perhaps the most remarkable lesson to be drawn from the dancing is that of cultural exchange. It did not matter whether or not a student knew how to dance a particular genre because there were many hands ready to guide in the instructional process. In fact, that is exactly what the college experience should be about. It’s about helping one another in the learning process to contribute to the joy and happiness of the community as a whole. At the ACES Barbeque, every new student was shown that as part of the SJC community and, more specifically ACES, they must serve as resources for each other. 

 This gathering provided the opportunity for upper classmen to reflect on their time in ACES, and looking back illuminates the personal academic satisfaction of every student, and offers new students a window into what’s in store for their first year of college. Former ACES students Mattew Li (Senior), Jessica Vilme (Senior), and Hera Rehan (Sophomore) all spoke with particular gratitude for the ACES staff. There is no doubt that the staff’s effort to make positive changes in every individual student’s life is producing phenomenal results. A new freshman class joins a community that owes a lot to a dedicated staff of professors. As sophomores, juniors and seniors, we are confident they are in good hands!