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SUNY Orange opened Commencement week Tuesday evening, May 19, with its 67th Annual Awards Convocation in the Physical Education Center, celebrating academic excellence, student leadership, and scholarship recipients. The event recognized students whose achievements reflect dedication, perseverance, and the support of faculty, family, and peers.

“The only thing hotter than this room is the accomplishment of our students,” said President Dr. Kristine Young during her welcome remarks. Hundreds of students, family members, friends, College employees and community members were on hand while 181 academic and co-curricular awards were issued. SUNY Orange Foundation Executive Director, Kristin Jensen, presented 33 scholarships to graduating students.

Convocation student speaker, student trustee and new media major Peter Bambino II addressed his fellow students by
recognizing their hard work and perseverance. Bambino also thanked the Board of Trustees as well as the Student
Senate for the experiences he was grateful to share during his time at SUNY Orange.

Before announcing its own awards, the College recognized two recipients of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for
Student Excellence, Maurice Davoren (Otisville) and Devshi Saxena (Goshen). Earlier this spring, Newburgh resident
Mya Ramos received the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award from SUNY for Educational Opportunity Program
excellence. Yuyu “Ryan” Chien of Middletown and Kayti Halloway from Cornwall-on-Hudson were honored with
Phi Theta Kappa Academic All-State recognition.

Among those in attendance, SUNY Orange alumna Terri Raciti was there to support and celebrate her daughter,
Catherine Raciti, who received an academic award for her academic work as a visual communications student. “This
ceremony was beautiful and I am so proud of my daughter,” said Raciti.

“I am thankful for my parents and everyone who supports the students,” Saxena said at the event, “especially the
SUNY Orange Foundation and the Honors program. It is exciting to see the impact we (the students) have made
during our time at the College. I’m excited.” Saxena received multiple awards as well as the Helen K. and George R.
Bartlett Jr. Memorial Scholarship and the Colonel John T. Westermeier Award.

Maya Sullivan, a Pine Bush High School graduate and resident of Middletown, was being recognized by the Arts and
Communication Department with an academic award and shared, “I never thought something like this could happen
to me. I am looking forward to becoming a children’s book illustrator.”

“It is nice to have this opportunity to acknowledge the students and their hard work,” said Stephen Gill whose wife Ana Hernandez Barranco of Newburgh was awarded a Business Administration A.S. academic award, Orange Ribbon award for outstanding service contributing to the improvement of campus life, and the Charles J. Reilly Business Education Scholarship. “Everything Ana has been doing; working full-time in Manhattan, commuting, studying and receiving this recognition is just great.”

SUNY Orange will hold its 76th annual Commencement, Thursday, May 21, on the Middletown campus at 10 a.m. Saxena will serve as student speaker. For live updates and for those unable to attend the ceremony in person, the event will be streamed live online via the College website at www.sunyorange.edu.

For the photos from this event,
click here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUj1J

 

Scholarships
Walter Albrecht Memorial Scholarship: Rachel Losee
Alford Biology Scholarship: Richard Rines
Business Scholarship: Michelle Facciola
Helen K. and George R. (Bucky) Bartlett Jr. Memorial Scholarship: Devshi Saxena
Christopher J. Basta Memorial Scholarship: Jonathan Velasquez
William O. Bell Sr. Memorial Scholarship: Mayra Torres
Amy Bull Crist Scholarship: Daniela Alvarenga
Ruth Curtis Memorial Award: Natalie Mainor
Trustee Edward P. Dougherty Memorial Scholarship: Patricia Mejia Magallon
William F. Ehlers Jr. Scholarship in Anthropology: Brighton M. Blake
Evening Nursing Scholarship: Chelsea Alsdorf, Jasmin Martinez
Max H. Golub Memorial Faculty Award: Brian Lopez
Flo Hannes OTA Scholarship: Emily Pierpoint
Odell S. Hathaway Memorial Scholarship: Maurice Davoren
George F. Large Memorial Scholarship: Yuyu “Ryan” Chien
Dr. James Lynch Memorial Scholarship: Mackenzie Corliss
Dr. Cortland R. Mapes Biology Scholarship: Kaitlyn Jenkeleit, Sydney Newsome, Richard Rines, Hannah Salazar,       
     Alejandro Tobon
Ivan Medina Memorial Scholarship: Hannah Moulton
Minden Architecture Award: Jake Krokus
Christine M. Morrison Scholarship: Ava Schwab
New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Scholarship: Max Sarbello
Orange County Society of New York for Collegiate Study Scholarship: Peter Bambino II
Elizabeth Parkhurst Memorial Scholarship: Devin Romich
Audrey A. Reilly Memorial Music Scholarship: Aaron Ali
Charles J. Reilly Business Education Scholarship: Ana Hernandez Barranco
Dennis Rohan Annual Scholarship: Andrea Discua, Erick Vazquez, Mark Zambrano
Seeley McClure Memorial Scholarship: Mohua Gazi, Caitlin Heppes
Corkey Siegel Scholarship in Music Award: Karley E. Davila
Herbert M. Sussman Biology Scholarship: Sydney Newsome
Patrick B. Sweeney Annual Scholarship: Keysi Soliz Figueroa
Dr. Hannah Vuolo Memorial Scholarship: Olivia Loeven
Colonel John T. Westermeyer Award: Devshi Saxena

Orange Ribbon Award
Imara Alexander, Peter Bambino II, Ana Hernandez Barranco, Patrick Blaney, Brighton Blake, Liliana Bongiovanni, Leslie Cajamarca, Yuyu “Ryan” Chien, Zara Corney, Brigid Cupolo-Shorter, Rimsha Daud, Lissette Delgado, Jahzareli Denmore, Kaily Diaz, Edithzel Dolores, Carina Dominguez, Camilla Fermanian Mejia, JJ Vaquero Flores, Gregory Furman, Nathaniel Gayle, Jonathan Gilbert, Christopher Gillespie, Celine Ginquitti, Phoenix Graham, Samantha Jacopino, Brandon Jones, Laura Kahle, Alex Kadanthod, Olivia Loeven, Brian Lopez, Natalie Mainor, Mia Malone, Patricia Mejia Megallon, Daphne Oliveros, Serena Owens, Stella Page, Roxxy Prado, Allison Rowen, Beatriz Ruckdeschel, Emma Sawyer, Andrew Stephens, Hannah Salazar, Aizhen Tang, Myrna Tangar, Alejandro Tobon, Mayra Torres, Nathalia Vargas Belliard, Sophia Weinert, Brandon Woody, Michelle Zavala, Kevin Zepeda

Leadership Program: I Am a Leader: Kaitlyn Baeza, Maurice Davoren, Danielle Dumas, Enny Gomez, Allyson Hernandez Medina, Yulie Paredes, Heraldo Richardson

Departmental Awards (Certificate of Merit, Outstanding Scholastic Achievement)
Honors Program: Connor Lynch, Samreen Saleel, Devshi Saxena
Phi Theta Kappa: YuYu “Ryan” Chien, Kayti Holloway

Arts and Communication Department
Art: Rachel Losee, Maya Sullivan
Communications: Elena Quitana
New Media: Kira Anderson, Madison Wright
Visual Communications: Christopher Coram, Catherine Raciti                  

Behavioral Sciences Department
Anthropology: Brighton Blake, Brigid Cupolo-Shorter
Sociology: Darren Dinkin, Reina Lyons

Biology Department
Biology: Richard Rines, Sydney Newsome, Kaitlyn Jenkeleit

Business Department
A.A.S. Accounting: Tony Li, Keto Lunham, Jessica Moroney
A.S. Accounting: Krista Bucci, Joaquin Munoz Aguilar, Samreen Saleel
A.S. Business Administration: Ana Hernandez Barranco, Martina Saavedra Aliaga, Dylan Williams
A.A.S. Business Management: Nareesa Chan, Tania Perez, Sean Stratton
A.S. Healthcare Administration: Shalane Alexander, Kimberly Simo

Clinical Laboratory Science Department
Medical Laboratory Technician: Nicholas Dollard, Maggie Knybel, Erick Siavichay

Computer Science & Technology Department
Computer Science: Axel Jackson, Aakash Kohar, Tristan McDevitt
CIT Networking: Daniel Lindstrom, Marshal Radulov, Angalisa Samuel
Cyber Security: Cassidy Goss, Joe Soto, Aaron Villano

Criminal Justice Department
A.S. Criminal Justice: Hannah Moulton

Dental Hygiene Department
Dental Hygiene: Nicole Kelly, Molly Lewis

Diagnostic Imaging Department
Radiologic Technology: Talia Gerena, Melissa Ortega, Jerika Waycie

Education Department
Early Childhood Education: Daniela Alvarenga, Sana Siddiqui
Teaching Careers: Christopher Gillespie, Emily Jennings, Beatriz Ruckdeschel

English Department
English: Aaron Ali, Devin Romich, Devshi Saxena
Philosophy: Shalane Alexander, Kierra Moore, Heather Stephens

Global Studies Department
Global Studies: Maurice Davoren, Kevin Kolacey

Interdisciplinary Studies Department
Interdisciplinary Studies: Devshi Saxena, Micah Severo

Mathematics Department
Mathematics: Christopher Gillespie, Olivia Loeven, Mark Zambrano

Movement Sciences Department
Exercise Studies: Aiden Cruz, Mohammad Najafipour, Jonathan Velasquez
Physical Education: Jayson Amodio, Giovanni Bauernfeind, Mia Lockowitz
Public Health: Brittany Jaccoi, Yamilet Palacios, Daylene Vera

Nursing Department
Nursing: Lindsay Keane, Rachel Powers, Alexis Ricciardi

Occupational Therapy Assistant Department
Occupational Therapy Assistant: Isabella Domingues, Adriana Fabrizio, Victoria Seman

Physical Therapist Assistant Department
Physical Therapist Assistant: Hannah Berry, Melissa Lutz, Ravyn Way

Science, Engineering & Architecture Department
Architectural Technology: Yuyu “Ryan” Chien, Kayti Holloway, Jake Krokus
Chemistry: Nicholas DiLemme, Camilla Fermanian Mejia, Allyson Hernandez Medina
Engineering: Justin Alicea, Erick Vazquez, Mark Zambrano
Geology: Brighton Blake, Gavin Gardocki
Physics: Gustavo Perez