2025 Honorees with President Marisa Kelly

The seventh Annual Black Excellence Celebration was an energizing and uplifting evening honoring the achievements of Black students, alumni, faculty, and staff. The event was held on Friday, March 21 at the Hyatt Regency Boston, with more than 200 alumni, students, faculty, trustees, and Suffolk senior leadership in attendance.

Director of Black Studies and Assistant Professor of English, Dr. Trent Masiki, shared key accomplishments in the Black Studies program from growing enrollment in the Black Studies minor and greatly expanded elective course offerings across multiple departments to the launch of the Sankofa Lecture Series, new collaborations with local organizations, and plans for international study opportunities. “Black studies is moving upward and onward. Black studies is worthy. Black Studies is here, and its future is bright,” said Dr. Masiki.

This year’s Outstanding Alumni Awards were presented to three truly exceptional individuals who are transforming their personal and professional communities.

College of Arts & Sciences honoree Morjieta Derisier, BA '08, attorney and co-owner of BayState Law Group PLLC. and the daughter of Haitian immigrants, has over 12 years of experience in criminal defense, real estate, and family law. A trailblazer, she won a landmark legal case on adverse possession and has been recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and Boston Magazine as one of the Top Women of Law and Top Criminal Defense Attorneys in 2024. She is also currently launching Advocate, an initiative to empower women by providing them with strategies to build successful businesses and advocate for themselves in legal and professional spaces. Reflecting on her career and achievements, Derisier said that she resonates with the Sankofa bird, a mythical creature often depicted with its two feet planted forward and the head and neck faced backward. “For me, the Sankofa bird is a reminder that even while you’re moving forward, you have to remember where you came from.”

The Honorable Tiffanie Ellis-Niles, JD '04, a committed public servant with deep roots in justice reform and community service and who was recently sworn in as the Associate Justice of the Juvenile Court of Massachusetts, was the Law School honoree. Prior to her judicial appointment, Ellis-Niles was a founding partner at Lyles and Niles, LLP and has been recognized as a Massachusetts Rising Star by Lawyers Weekly Super Lawyers. She is a past president of both the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the Massachusetts Black Women's Attorneys Association. Even with her very busy schedule, Ellis-Niles always makes time to lift up and support others, in particular mentoring high school, college, and law students, as well as junior lawyers. In accepting the award, she noted that events like the Celebration of Black Excellence “remind us of the importance of education, mentorship, and the power of community and nurturing future leaders.” She also acknowledged the significance of giving back, saying, “I'm honored to support the Suffolk University Black Alumni Network Scholarship Fund, and I encourage all of us to continue empowering the next generation of leaders.”

The final alumni honoree, representing the Sawyer Business School, was Malik Richard, BSBA '19, MBA '20, vice president for external relations at Nativity Preparatory School of Boston, a tuition-free Jesuit school that serves boys, grades five to eight, from underserved and low-income families. Richard oversees the school's marketing, communications and fundraising efforts and recently played a pivotal role in developing a partnership between Nativity Prep and Suffolk that included securing two full-tuition MBA scholarships per year from the university for qualifying Nativity Prep alumni. Richard is also the founder and chairman of Mentality, a nonprofit organization accredited by the Department of Youth and Culture in his home country of Anguilla, that aims to create a safe space for men to discuss mental health and empower them to make a difference in the lives of others. Recalling his uncertainty and self-doubt when he first came to Suffolk, Richard described the transformation that began with his father’s words: “It’s go-time, baby boy, head up.” With that encouragement in mind, he found his place along with considerable success, and he encouraged the Black Excellence audience to take that same wisdom to heart for themselves. “For anyone who ever questioned their worth or felt like they didn’t belong, this is your reminder. It is go-time. Keep your head up, pull your shoulders back, look them in the eye, and say, we are here.”

The event’s other honorees included Ade Igbineweka, director of career equity and access for the Center for Career Equity, Development, & Success, who was given the Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award. Speaking about her experiences working with Suffolk students, she remarked, “It is a gift to watch the transformation that happens when students come to campus trying to figure out their place in the world. And when they leave, they’re one step closer to making it a better place for us all.”

From left to right, Trustee Tamela Bailey, JD ’04, Myles Guerrier (1L student), Kareema Scott, Trustee Ernst Guerrier, BS ’91, JD ’94 and Dr. Trent Masiki.

Law student Stacey Charlot, graduating in May with a concentration in Sports & Entertainment Law, is treasurer for the Black Law Students Association and a Journal of Health and Biomedical Law staff member. “There were moments on my journey when I doubted myself. When I struggled to find an internship and questioned whether I truly belonged or was qualified to succeed in this space,” she shared, adding that among those who helped her to keep going were “two superheroes, Ernst (Guerrier, BS ’91, JD ’94, a Suffolk trustee) and Tamela (Bailey, JD ’04, also a trustee), who came to rescue me, uplift me, and build me up—whose guidance reminded me that sometimes others see the greatness in us long before we do. And for that, I'm forever grateful. Your belief in me, even in moments when I doubted myself, is a testament to the power of our community.”

The final student honorees were both College of Arts & Sciences seniors and McNair scholars as well as student leaders already deeply involved in communities beyond Suffolk. Student Government Association president Clinton Oreofe, who is majoring in Politics, Philosophy & Economics, is also the co-founder and vice president of a Houston-based nonprofit organization, Operation Muvaland, which provides events, school supplies, advocacy and opportunities for students. After graduating, he plans to start a foundation focused on reducing educational inequities for lower income students in Texas, as well as engaging in public policy at the state and national levels, advocating for students with backgrounds similar to his own. First generation college student Kayci Resende-Abbott is a Philosophy major, a double minor in women’s & gender studies and Black studies, and president of the Black Student Union. She is also currently serving as a youth fellow with the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA2S+ Advancement.

The annual Celebration of Black Excellence helps to raise support for the Suffolk University Black Alumni Network (SUBAN) Scholarship Fund. This year’s event sponsors included platinum sponsor, the Toll Brothers Foundation.

Support the SUBAN Scholarship Fund