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Worcester State University celebrates diverse identities at annual Unity Day

Posted By Nancy Sheehan On In Beyond the Classroom | No Comments

Worcester State University held its second annual Unity Day on Sept. 25, a campus-wide celebration designed to promote greater understanding, respect, and inclusion.

Originally planned for an outdoor setting, heavy rain forced organizers to move the festivities indoors to the Blue Lounge in the Student Center. However, the change in venue did not dampen the enthusiasm and spirit of the occasion.

Throughout the day, students, faculty, and staff participated in a variety of activities and workshops focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. Highlights included a hands-on art project where participants painted rocks to create a collaborative display, a session on bystander intervention to interrupt discrimination, and a panel discussion featuring the diverse voices and experiences of disabled students on campus.

A centerpiece of the event was a speaking program that featured powerful words from student Eva Diaz ’27, who shared her personal journey and perspective on the meaning of unity.

“When I graduated high school, I didn’t feel hopeful about the future,” Diaz said. “My grades were low and I was unmotivated, and I felt like I had already failed.” But with the support of her family and the opportunities provided by Worcester State, she found her footing and discovered a sense of purpose. She specifically mentioned the encouragement she received from the Alternatives for Individual Development (AID) program, an alternative admissions program offering support to students to help ensure their success.

AID is a summer bridge program that focuses on students who show a strong desire to succeed in higher education and are first-generation, low-income, or identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) or African American, Latine, Asian, or Native American (ALANA). “I didn’t know what to expect, but those six weeks changed my life,” she said.

Diaz, who serves as a student ambassador for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, spoke about the importance of “finding yourself, building your village, and pushing beyond your boundaries”—themes that have shaped her own experience as the child of Ecuadorian immigrants.

“Unity isn’t just about being together physically or agreeing on everything,” said Diaz, a third-year urban studies major. “It’s about supporting one another, lifting each other up, and recognizing that our lives are connected. Unity is a foundation that allows communities to grow, for individuals to thrive, and for struggles to be shared rather than faced alone.”

Six panelists sit at a blue table on a stage under a screen displaying a discussion question at a Worcester State University event. [1]
Several smooth stones are decorated with colorful painted designs, patterns, and messages, displayed on a table covered with a plastic sheet. [2]
A man speaks at a podium labeled [3]
A woman stands at a podium with a Worcester State University sign, speaking into a microphone in front of a brick wall. [4]
Five people stand side by side in an office lounge area, posing for a group photo. Some are smiling, and one person is holding a small object. [5]
A woman stands at a podium labeled [6]
Three people, two men in suits and one woman in a black top and light cardigan, stand in front of a brick wall, facing the camera and smiling. [7]
Six panelists sit at a blue table on a stage under a screen displaying a discussion question at a Worcester State University event.
A panel discussion at Unity Day
Several smooth stones are decorated with colorful painted designs, patterns, and messages, displayed on a table covered with a plastic sheet.
Painted rocks at Unity Day
A man speaks at a podium labeled
President Maloney speaks at Unity Day
A woman stands at a podium with a Worcester State University sign, speaking into a microphone in front of a brick wall.
Eva Diaz '27 at the podium
Five people stand side by side in an office lounge area, posing for a group photo. Some are smiling, and one person is holding a small object.
Campus Ministry participated in teh event
A woman stands at a podium labeled
A Unity Day speaker at the podium
Three people, two men in suits and one woman in a black top and light cardigan, stand in front of a brick wall, facing the camera and smiling.
Edgar Moros, Eva Diaz, and President Maloney at Unity Day

President Barry Maloney praised students, faculty, and staff who participated in Unity Day, noting that having a diverse student body isn’t just about access but also ensures that “all students learn from different perspectives that emerge when many different backgrounds are represented in each classroom.”

“It’s critically important for people who look like me to be educated in a multicultural environment and learn from classmates’ perspectives that are certainly different from my own,” Maloney said. “And it’s important to have diverse frameworks and analysis represented in the curriculum—it’s something that;s necessary for all Worcester State graduates to succeed after they leave this institution.”

Earlier in the program, Edgar Moros, executive director for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, welcomed attendees and discussed the possibility of officially renaming the newly landscaped plaza outside the Student Center as Common Ground Plaza at Founders Park.

“We hope that from now on this idea will catch on and the appropriate channels maybe will have it formally named that,” Moros said. “Because it is a plaza. I’ve seen people there enjoying their lunch, students reading, faculty members and staff sitting there. This is a space that is used by everyone,” he said, highlighting the inclusive vision behind the plaza’s creation.

The Unity Day celebration, now in its fifth year, began as a Unity Walk and was expanded to a day-long event last year. Unity Day is part of Worcester State’s ongoing efforts to foster a more inclusive campus climate. 

Photo gallery by Mary Leufstedt