By Gabriella Bancheri
On Thursday, Jan. 11, Rutgers Statewide held an honors ceremony for Gina Harvell to award her their first annual Lifelong Learner Award.
Gina, an Atlantic City native and graduate student at Rutgers University, is on track to receive her Master’s in Social Work with a Minor in Drug and Alcohol Counseling this spring.
Not only is Gina the first recipient of the award but the sole inspiration for it. The Lifelong Learner Award was devised in response to Gina’s resilience in the face of struggle. The award was created to celebrate her continued academic optimism and sheer drive.
Gina experienced a long and arduous road of addiction, cancer, homelessness, incarceration, and loss before deciding to turn her life around and truly embark on her educational journey.
She spent a fraction of her life in the Atlantic City Brown’s Park, where she would use drugs and watch the students on ACCC’s campus come and go. It was during these times that she’d think about her desire to go to school and get a college education.
Eventually, against all odds, Gina prevailed. She went on to receive her GED in 2010. Then she received her Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Atlantic County Community College, having made the Dean’s List nearly every one of those semesters. Gina graduated with a 3.96 GPA for her BA.
In the Spring of 2024, Gina is set to graduate from Rutgers University with a Master’s degree in Social Work.
During the ceremony, encouraging remarks were given on Gina’s academic performance and character. Among them was Dr. Richard Novak, a Rutgers University professor. He assured the audience that there are “many types of heroes who do things we could never do:” among them is Gina Harvell. “She stands as an inspiration to us all,” he said proudly.
Gina’s story is one of true resilience, but also of how important it is for us to recognize the light in others, especially in cases when some peoples’ difficult journeys may dull their sparkle. It’s our job as a community to lift up people like Gina so they can reach their full potential and make the world a better place.
Attending Gina’s honorary ceremony was a privilege, but listening to her share her story was even more special. The light, optimism and authenticity that radiated from her was truly inspiring.
She thanked ACCC for “laying the foundation” that ultimately took her to Rutgers, as well as everyone who came to support her. She ultimately urged the audience that while her story is one of resilience, it’s also one of empathy.
It was so refreshing and insightful attending this ceremony, but it’s Gina’s words that sum up the essence of the experience more perfectly than mine. “Never look down on anyone or turn your back on them,” she said to the audience, “because the next Gina Harvell could be looking for that spark.”
