Cabrini University alumnae Kylie McDevitt Kelce (‘17) and Dr. Rachel Slaughter (‘89) are confirmed as speakers for Cabrini’s 64th and final Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 19, 2024.
Kelce will speak at the Undergraduate Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. for all undergraduate students receiving bachelor's degrees. Slaughter will speak to all graduate students receiving master's and doctoral degrees at the Graduate Ceremony at 1 p.m. Both events are by invitation only and will be held on Cabrini’s campus in Nerney Field House, located in Dixon Center.
Kylie McDevitt Kelce
Narbeth, PA native Kelce earned a B.A. in Communications from Cabrini and was a standout field hockey athlete throughout her college career. As a four-year starter, Kelce helped the Cavaliers win the Colonial States Athletic Conference title two years in a row. She was named the Colonial States Athletics Conference (CSAC) Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-CSAC First Team and an All-CSAC Second Team selection and an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South All-Stars First Team honoree. During her college days, Kelce also worked as a Dixon Center building supervisor and enjoyed her position as a staff writer for the student newspaper, The Loquitur.
"One of the best decisions I've ever made was to become a part of the Cabrini field hockey family,” Kelce said. “The experience gave me memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.”
After graduation, she continued to foster her love of field hockey, serving in several roles including head varsity field hockey coach at Lower Merion High School, her alma mater.
Kelce’s interests go well beyond athletics. A proud parent to three daughters, she is dedicated to making a difference by giving back to the community. She supports (Be)Philly, a foundation launched by her husband, former Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce, to improve the lives of Philadelphia's youth. She is also an advocate for Eagles Autism Foundation, helping to raise money and awareness. She hosts an annual charity event for the foundation in Sea Isle City, NJ. In its second year, the event raised $150,000, of which the Kelces donated $50,000.
In January, Kelce partnered with beauty brand Dove to support the Body Confident Sport program—a first-of-its-kind and scientifically-proven set of free digital tools for coaches co-developed by Dove and Nike to build body confidence in 11–17-year-old girls so they can keep playing the game they love.
Dr. Rachel Slaughter
Slaughter is an educator, author, and international speaker on global literacy issues. The Yeadon, PA native earned a B.A. in English/Communication and secondary education from Cabrini, and a Master of Education in Secondary Education and Literature from Kutztown University. In 2019, she earned a doctoral degree in Cognitive Studies and Reading from Widener University, where she presented her dissertation titled “Summer Reading Lists in Private Middle Schools: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Multicultural Fiction. Slaughter also became a certified Reading Specialist via the Department of Education.
A past Cabrini Distinguished Achievement Alumni Awardee, Slaughter credits her success to the valuable lessons she learned at Cabrini under the instruction and guidance of Dr. Jerome “Jerry” Zurek and found inspiration to become a journalist in her communications courses. She also served as editor of The Loquitur, as well as a member of the Black Student Union and a tutor for disadvantaged students.
Slaughter became a part time local features reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Tribune, where some of her articles were featured as cover stories. However, her passion is teaching, and she began her career in education at a Catholic school in West Philadelphia. She started an after-school program in her neighborhood and founded The Salt and Light Learning Institute, now Literacy University, which provides tutoring and academic resources to at-risk families for children from kindergarten through college.
In 2021, Slaughter’s textbook and workbook, Turning the Page: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural Literature (Rowman and Littlefield, 2021), were published. These books include a peer-reviewed metric that she designed to rate the quality of multicultural literature and literacy. She has taken this literacy expertise to the masses, speaking to school leaders, consultants, and fellow educators as far as Ireland and England. She continues to teach and remains committed to the vision of eradicating illiteracy.