The Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities selected Airelle Smith to receive the 2023 Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft Award.
The Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities selected Airelle Smith as a recipient of the 2023 Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft Award. Airelle serves as a dedicated team member for the Office of Career Exploration and Success (CES) and received this award for being an outstanding member of the community who offers exceptional leadership, campus involvement, and commitment to campus change.
William Jones, Career Exploration and Success Executive Director, states, "We are so fortunate to have Airelle on the team. The work she is doing is so essential, and I am so happy to see our campus partners recognizing it as well.”
Airelle has made quite an impact during her short time at the Office of Career Exploration and Success. Starting in March 2022, Airelle provides programming and support to the unique needs of Women, LGBTQ, Students with Disabilities, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black & Latinx, and Indigenous Students. Airelle received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in Philosophy. After graduating, she served as Capital Teaching Resident and Lead Teacher at Valor Academy in Washington, DC. Before working for the office, she worked as a graduate coordinator, and served as the administrative assistant at the Center on Violence Against Women and Children in the School of Social Work at Rutgers-New Brunswick and worked in non-profit and K-12 education. She's currently pursuing her master's degree at the School of Communication and Information in Communication and Media Studies.
Airelle was acknowledged at the 2023 Rainbow Graduation on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, and honors the achievements of Rutgers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary, queer, intersex, asexual, and other queer spectrum (LGBTQIA+) undergraduate and graduate students. The event acknowledges the challenges and triumphs experienced in their careers at Rutgers University and announces the honorees for the Lionel Cuffie Award, LGBTQIA+ Taskforce Awards, Dr. Cheryl Clarke Award, Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft Award, and special recognition of community members and graduate students.
Lindsay Jeffers, Ed. M., Assistant Director of Programming for the Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities added, “Airelle Smith has been a dedicated partner to the Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities. Airelle has been a consistent collaborator in enhancing our students' preparation for interviews, internships, graduate school, and their future careers. LGBTQIA+ students may face barriers in their careers, such as discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We appreciate that Airelle provides inclusive guidance to our students that reflects their specific needs and identities. With support from an affirming career advisor like Airelle, our LGBTQIA+ students gain confidence and strategies to take into consideration their promising future lives and careers. We recognize Airelle Smith for the labor and love shown to our student communities and for being a great colleague.”
Tamara Peters, Associate Director, Career Student Communities for Career Exploration and Success, added, “I'm so blessed to work with Airelle and have her on our team. It's been an amazing journey to watch her navigate the career communities as a Graduate Coordinator and then eagerly and in full force take on new ones as a full-time staff member. Her commitment to providing excellent service and resources to these communities does not go unnoticed. What she has accomplished in one year is phenomenal.”
The Office of Career Exploration and Success at Rutgers University-New Brunswick is honored to have Airelle Smith recognized for their commitment to the career development profession and these career communities.
The Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft award is granted to graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, or other Rutgers community members who demonstrate positive changes on campus which advance LGBTQIA+ communities. The award honors the contributions made by former Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft. Rago-Craft was hired by the Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities in 2012 as Assistant Director. Zaneta’s leadership brought the creation of our first thematic program series dedicated to trans experiences (Trans Visibility & Empowerment Week) and the first-ever LGBTQIA+ Welcome Week. After being elevated to Director in 2014, her advocacy supported the creation of gender-inclusive housing options on campus, implementing a preferred name system, and improving trans-affirming healthcare on campus. Under Dr. Rago-Craft's leadership, the office was repeatedly recognized as among the top 30 LGBT-friendly campuses by Campus Pride.
