Galloway, N.J. – When asked to tap into the school spirit and pride within Stockton University students, faculty, staff and alumni, Candace Mitchell and Ian Bouie of Student Affairs embarked on a mission. 

This mission – aptly named the Activate & Motivate Pride or AMP Initiative – seeks to elevate Stockton’s various campus experiences that center appreciation, motivation and pride for the university. These experiences include Stockton staples such as home basketball games, April’s Inclusive Leadership Conference and Student Development’s annual Woodstockton concert in May. 

"The vision for AMP is based upon initiatives I have launched at my previous institutions, that focused on developing school pride via collaborative events and projects," William Latham, interim vice president for Student Affairs, shared. "These initiatives had great success in rebranding the culture of the institution and fostering belonging for both students and staff, and we look forward to creating that experience here at Stockton.”

“The majority of the list that we compiled were events that already existed and show so much Stockton pride,” said Mitchell, who serves as director of Student Transition Programs. “We’re essentially trying to create opportunities for increased collaboration and to help shine a light on some positive experiences that we encourage students to engage with.” 

The initiative also has plans for new events and celebrations on campus, including celebrating the birthday of Stockton’s beloved mascot, Talon, during the upcoming home men’s and women’s basketball games against The College of New Jersey on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Sports Center. In addition to cheering on our Ospreys, game attendees are expected to sing “Happy Birthday” and enjoy some cake with Talon. 

When asked about Stockton’s school spirit and the advent of the AMP initiative, Visual Communications major Josh Corsentino and Health Sciences major Deesha Chokshi shared similar points of view.

“I like the idea of it a lot,” Corsentino of Brick Township said. “I think school spirit is really important because it fosters and engages our community.”

“I love Stockton’s school spirit and how everyone comes together,” Chokshi of Galloway said. "Stockton is full of friendly faces, and everyone is always talking about getting involved, so you feel a sense of community.”

While students remain first, Mitchell emphasized that the initiative’s goal reaches beyond students and ultimately extends to anyone within the Stockton community.    

“We want to extend an invitation to staff, faculty, alumni and the families of our students and inspire them to embrace their Stockton spirit and to celebrate our Stockton identity,” Mitchell said. “We have people who are so proud of their time here and are fond of the experiences that they have had here and the connections that they have built, so we’re trying to make it a more intentional norm that, for example, we all wear Stockton apparel on Fridays.”

–  Story by Loukaia Taylor

– Photos by Susan Allen