Elisabeth Bernard ’21, Student Address
Elisabeth (Lisa) Bernard was elected by the Class of 2021 to serve as its student speaker for the full-time, day program. Originally from Brownsville, Brooklyn, Lisa has dedicated her life and career to serving court-involved youth in multiple capacities.
Working with organizations such as the Center for Court Innovation at the Brownsville Community Justice Center, as its Youth & Community Programs Coordinator, further revealed to Lisa the many gaps and loopholes that exist in the criminal legal system, which contribute to the continued mistreatment of Black and Brown youth.
Her enthusiasm and devotion to youth and impacting change helped her to gain admission to the CUNY School of Law through its Pipeline to Justice Program.
During her time at CUNY Law, Lisa was accepted into the Defenders Clinic, where she worked with the Second Look Project, was selected as a 2020 Sorensen Center Fellow, and served as Social Action Chair of the Black Law Students Association. She also continued her work with court-involved youth by working with Common Justice and Youth Represent.
She attended the CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she earned her master’s degree in Youth Studies and Development. While juggling both law school and graduate school, she became an expert researcher, conducting multiple Youth Participatory Action Research projects, in conjunction with CUNY and youth from all over the city. Lisa received her BA in Criminal Justice Studies with a minor in Juvenile Justice from CW Post Long Island University.
Her hopes are not only to continue to serve and advocate for Black and Brown youth, but to be an example of the opportunities and possibilities which they can obtain.
Commencement Remarks
Welcome students, faculty, staff, families, friends, and allies to CUNY School of Law class of 2021 virtual Commencement ceremony, what an honor and privilege to have this opportunity to be the student speaker, albeit virtual, I feel the energy and presence of you all as though you were right here with me.
I’d like to start off by thanking God, my amazing family and friends, and my mother and grandmother, who have worked long and hard to see me through this point in my life. This moment is dedicated to you both for your commitment to praying for our family through tough times, and of course, I’d like to thank my loving partner who has stayed by my side virtuously every step of the way.
Well… congratulations class of 2021!
My, you’ve done it and I am so proud!
As I sat to write this speech, I really struggled with what to say because, well, it has been quite a ride. From a global pandemic which resulted in the loss of many family and friends, the agony of Trump’s presidency, sitting through hours of classes virtually, and of course the senseless murders of Black men and women across the country… our communities faced tumultuous times.
Despite all that we faced, we persevered.
You protested in the streets and highways chanting and yelling
Black Lives Matter,
defund the police,
cancel the rent,
and more recently, stop Asian hate.
You did this all while being parents, caretakers, students, full-time and part-time employees, just to name a few. You understood that your advocacy at this level was only preparing you for what is to come in this career. I must say, Well done!
As things got a bit better, we faced a serious turning point in the CUNY Law community… a turning point that would inflict hurt and pain across students, and some faculty and staff, alike. Many of you helped to organize, advocate, and push for what we as students believed was right and although this incident will not be one of our fondest moments, I urge you to hold on to the memories, faculty and staff who have made CUNY Law an extraordinary place to learn… to name a few… our amazing team of security guards, who not only made us feel welcome and safe, but checked in to make sure we ate food and got all the advice we could ever need, and what about the wonderful women of the events department, who always made sure we had anything we needed including that good ol Luckys pizza for every event or social gathering held in the building, and how can we forget our student affairs department who heard our complaints both small and large firsthand, then did their best to advocate for our needs behind closed doors.
As we try so deeply to move on from the obstacles we’ve experienced and remember the good times, I wanted to share a quote from the late Dr. Chadwick Boseman, he said “invest in the importance of this moment, savor the taste of your triumphs today, don’t just swallow whole without digesting what is happening here… look down over what you’ve accomplished and appreciate what God has brought you through” … colleagues, we have experienced a great deal and throughout the journey of your careers, there will be times when you question your capacity to do this work…and when those times come, it will be important for you to remember not only what CUNY Law has prepared you for but to remember what you have endured and overcome in 2020 to this day.
Best of luck, this isn’t good bye, it’s until we meet again.