2023 Student and Alumni Awards

STUDENTS

Joshua Koegel ’24,  received the Henry Yuska Award in a ceremony at Brooklyn College. The award has special meaning for Joshua’s family, as Prof. Yuska was one of his father’s instructors. (Pictured with Mark Kobrak, the Dean of the Chemistry Department.)

Angelina Lambros ’26 is the recipient of the Brooklyn College History Department Daniel M. Lyons History of the US Scholarship.

Leo Kouklanakis ’25 (Brooklyn) is the second place winner of the CUNY Labor Arts Making Work Visible Contest in the category of poetry for a piece called “Love Carefully.” He says: “I love poetry because it offers me a whole different language and processes of thought that I can use to try to understand what I see and feel and experience.”

Congratulations to Anastasia Kutuzov ’25 (Brooklyn). She received the Kantilal C. Patel Award, recognizing students with potential for further studies in the field of Chemistry.

Xylo Lazrinth ’25 (Brooklyn) has been accepted into the Brooklyn Urban Ecology and Environment and will collect data on northern pipefish living in New York City’s waterways.

Nicole Gonik ’23 (Hunter) has been selected for the Russia and Eurasia team of Carnegie Endowment’s James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program. “I find studying this part of the world incredibly important–especially now, and especially as a Ukrainian-American.”

Graduating senior Shan Shan Chen Yan (right, Baruch) has received the 2023 Arnold Picker Award for Excellence in Psychology.

Daniel Iskhakov (Hunter) has been selected for the New York City Urban Fellows Program.

Jack Graziano ’23 (Hunter) was selected (and accepted) the Boren Scholarship for a capstone year in Taiwan.

Jacob Moloy ’25 (Baruch) as been awarded the Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellowship, a year long program for students leading the movement. He’s excited to involve himself further in LGBTQ+ activism while learning more about his community.  Congrats!

Loida S. Tavera (Baruch) has won the 2022 Abraham J. Briloff Prize in Ethics for her essay, “Folk Moral Objectivism and Belief in God.”

Swara Patel ’24 (Hunter College) has been selected as a 2023 Barry Goldwater Scholar, an undergraduate research fellowship. Swara is passionate about a career at the intersection of research, medicine, and global health.

Senior Kimberly Nuñez was selected as PRISM Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher at John Jay College. She’s been involved in a research project investigating the effects of water on the transport of the heavy-metal mercury in soil.

Seven Macaulay students are among the Jeannette K. Watson Class of 2025 Fellows: Stefanie Brijmohan ’26 (Lehman College), Rafi Chowdhury ’25 (John Jay College), Ricky Costas-Hernandez ’26 (Brooklyn College), Billie Estrine ’25 (City College), Frances Macalimbon Hamed ’25 (Hunter College), and Emily Madray ’25 (John Jay College), and Kilhah St. Fort ’25 (Lehman College) will each receive annual funding to develop their personal, professional, and cultural potential.

Hunter Moran ’23 (Hunter) will head to Copenhagen as a Fulbright awardee.

VALEDICTORIANS AND SALUTATORIANS

Senior Catherine Hernandez has been selected as City College’s valedictorian. READ

Emanuela Gallo ’23 is Baruch College’s Valedictorian.

Sayuri Sayakkara ’23 is the College of Staten Island Salutatorian

Sabella Vaserman ’23 is the College of Staten Island, Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business Valedictorian

ALUMNI

Amanda Brand (Queens College), Kevin Kemelmakher (Hunter College), Pamella Leybengrub (Hunter College) and Tammy Yang (Hunter College), all from the class of 2022, have been selected to receive the CUNY’s prestigious Jonas E. Salk Award. The award provides financail support for students accepted into medical schools or graduate programs in the biomedical sciences. MORE

CUNY schools have been named among the nation’s top producers of Fulbright award winners for this academic year, according to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S Department of State. Among the awardees are the following Macaulay graduates: Noam Gal ’22 (Baruch) has won a Fulbright M.A. Award to study in Israel at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Smart Cities and Urban Informatics. He’s particularly interested in researching the development of the Jerusalem Light Rail.

Katherine Scardino ’22 (City College) was selected for an Fulbright to Mexico.

AND…

Macaulay at City College Advisor Will Lung was chosen as a Fellow in the CUNY Diversity and Inclusion Program.

PAST AWARDS: 2022  2021  2020   2019  2018  2017 

Mackenzie Taller '23 (Queens) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA and a BFA in Photography and Imaging. Mackenzie's work has been featured in three photography exhibitions throughout New York City. She plans to continue her successful freelance portrait photography career while also pursuing music photography, working with a variety of artists to capture concerts and other live performances.

Ashley Chang '23 (Queens) is graduating with a 3.96 GPA with a double major in Communication Sciences and Disorders(CSD) and Psychology and a minor in Cities and Social Medicine on the Social Sciences honors track. She received acceptances to CSD master's programs at New York University, Teachers College Columbia University, Brooklyn College, St. John's University, and Queens College. She has committed to joining the CSD master's program at Queens College this fall.

Wilmar Echavarria '23 (Queens) is a Goldsmith Scholar and will be continuing her education in Speech and Language Pathology. Her research on Aphasia in bilingual individuals has been featured at the Collaborative international Learning Showcase 2022, International Aphasia Rehabilitation Conference 2022, Hadassah Academic College 13th Conference on Communication Disorders in Diverse languages and Populations of Children 2022, and the Israel Speech and hearing and Language Association 2023. She has also been awarded the Spero Stuttering Award for students conducting research in stuttering.

Christian Frank Spallino '23 (CSI) is graduating with a bachelor's degree in biological science. He thanks Macaulay for an amazing four years.

Joseph Abraham '22 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. Joseph was part of the 2021-2022 FLP cohort and has represented Baruch in the 2020 FED challenge. Upon graduation, Joseph will begin his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Deustche Bank.

Abi Human '23 (Hunter) is graduating as salutatorian of Hunter College with a 3.9 GPA. She will be pursuing a PhD in evolutionary anthropology specializing in conservation ecology at Duke University, doing research on lemur conservation!

Omar Dervisevic '23 (CCNY) is graduating with his Bachelors in Engineering in Biomedical Engineering and has been accepted into the PhD program at Cornell University.

Josephina Gjonaj '23 (Baruch) is graduating summa cum laude and is excited to begin working for BNY Mellon as an Operations Analyst this August.

Catie Hernandez '23 (City College) is graduating as Valedictorian of CCNY. She has dedicated her college career to the decolonization of museum work and archaeological practice. This past summer, she worked in Ecuador and Barbados as an archaeological field tech on projects that gave primacy to decolonial ideology and community-based work. She is currently interning at the MoMA PS1 as a curatorial intern, where she is working on the museum's Indigenous rights campaign.

Valentina Tillmann ‘23 (CCNY), graduating with a Pure Mathematics B.S. Valentina has accepted an offer for a Financial Analyst position at Benchmark Education Company.

Lawrence Gleyzer ’23 (Staten Island) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA in Biology. Lawrence is looking forward to becoming a physician one day to treat children after serving as the Vice President of the Pre-Med/Pre-PA Society.

Melissa Poggioli '23 (CSI) is graduating with a degree in Computer Science. Melissa has accepted a full time position at Healthfirst as an IT Associate working on the Corporate Business Technology team.

Nafisa Zaforullah '23 graduated with a 3.95 GPA from City College in December. From interning at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLC, she is currently working as a legal assistant at The Law Office of Betty Huang P.C. prior to pursuing her passion in law school next fall. She double majored in Political Science & International Studies while devoting her time as the President of the International Studies Club. Nafisa is also engaged in empowerment efforts in underprivileged communities as an intern at the Office of the Public Advocate.

Julianna Meyer '23 (Hunter) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She will be continuing her work at the New York City Department of Education as an elementary school teacher. Julianna has served as a volunteer teacher for kindergarten students through Teach for America. With the CUNY Reading Corps & New York City Department of Education, she served as a reading tutor to first and second grade students. She is looking forward to continuing this work to achieve equity in urban education.

Anthony Butta '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.98 GPA and has a full-time Investment Banking offer at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. upon graduation. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Chase throughout all four years of college in each of their line of businesses such as Business Banking, Hedge Fund Solutions, Investment Banking, and Real Estate Asset Management. Anthony was the President of Baruch's only student run hedge fun, 50Five Capital, and facilitated numerous networking events with the Baruch community and professionals across the finance industry.

Gabrielle Medev '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA and will be joining Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) full-time in their Corporate and Investment Banking Division upon graduation. Gabrielle is a graduate of the FLP 2021-2022 Cohort, is a member of the Financial Women's Association (FWA), and was Head of Operations of Baruch's only student-run hedge fund, 50Five Capital, where she facilitated numerous networking events with members of the Baruch community and professionals from the finance industry.

Suraj Patel '23 (Hunter) has begun working as a Data Analyst with Biotia, a rapidly growing health-tech company focused on fighting infectious disease with AI and genomics while developing a world leading microbial sequence database. He is also continuing his research at The Shen Lab where he is investigating the molecular mechanisms of PTEN, a frequently mutated gene in human cancers. Suraj will be applying to medical schools in the 23'-24' cycle.

Shafali Gupta '23 (Hunter) will work full-time at Capital One as a Software Engineer.

Frieda Cohen ‘23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA and is starting a career at EY in Consulting this summer.

Emily Oliveira ’23 (Lehman) is graduating with a BS in Health Services Admin and is the first in her family to graduate college. She will begin her career at VNS Health as an Emergency Preparedness Associate before pursuing her master's in the spring. Emily intends to return to Brazil this summer to volunteer as a teacher in her hometown. She hopes to publish her honors thesis on the estimated cost of a college degree after losing public benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid, and Sect 8. She is grateful for the life-long friendships made within her cohort and is excited to

Siddrah Alhindi '22 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. Siddrah's work in writing and film is featured in various publications. Her most recent short film, "A Place to Pray," won the Best Documentary Film award at the 19th Annual CUNY Asian American Film Festival and was screened at the 2022 DOC NYC festival. In her years at Baruch as a Macaulay Honors student majoring in journalism and minoring in film, Siddrah completed various multimedia projects highlighting her skills in these fields. She also won the honorable mention award for her essay submission in the Spring '22 "What Is Home?"

Kat Jackowicz '23 (Baruch) is graduating summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA. Kat will continue her education over the next three years at Northeastern University School of Law and pursue international public interest work. Kat has dedicated the last four years to amplifying marginalized voices through her work as a fellow in the Justice & Equity Honors Network, an intern with the Asian American Arts Alliance and Building Beats, and as the VP of Philanthropy in Women in Business.

Brie '23 (Brooklyn/CUNYBA) is simply excited to be graduating. He is not going to grad school, hasn't won any award or competition, but is excited to continue working with non-profits, such as Thee Open House Project, to make the world a better place. Though you can catch him at 54 Below on November 2, 2023, at 9:30 PM at the cabaret they are producing, directing, and starring in, 54 Sings INSIDE.

Odeta Zeka ’23 (Hunter) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA, with a major in Honors Economics, double minor in math and theatre, and a certificate in Business. She has received the Women’s Bond Club scholarship, the Centerbridge CUNY Investment Industry Fellowship, and the Leon Cooperman Business Fellowship. She has also completed three internships in the marketing, fintech, and finance industries. She will return to Nomura Securities this Summer with a full-time position in Corporate Equity Derivatives!

Savannah Patsakos is graduating with a BS in Biology and a minor in Psychology with a cumulative GPA of 4.0. She will be attending the Physician Assistant Program at Touro University this Fall, 2023.

John Koenig '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.7 GPA. John is a Rudin Scholar and Frenkel-Pan Fellow. After graduation he will be an officer in the United States Army.

Izabella Bangiyeva '23 is graduating with a 4.0 GPA from Macaulay Honors College and Hunter College in just 3 years! Izabella will attend SUNY College of Optometry to become a Doctor of Optometry.

Abigail Ovitsh '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and Psychology Departmental Honors. She won the Alvin and Stanley Snadowsky Award for General Academic Excellence in Psychology and has been accepted into a clinical psychology doctoral program.

Ariel Liberchuk ‘23 (Hunter) is graduating with a degree in Biology and plans on matriculating into medical school in 2024. Ariel was a volunteer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where he also got the chance to be a part of the SCORE program. Ariel performs cancer research in the Wolfe Lab on the EGFR protein and presented his findings from both experiences at multiple conferences and received a publication. He is an active EMT at RCA. Ariel is also an avid musician and played trumpet in the Hunter Jazz ensemble. In his free time Ariel loves to workout, travel,

Sarit Alkadaa'23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. Sarit has shown her leadership skills by being on the board and creating events for multiple clubs and organizations, a few being the Brooklyn College Emergency Medical Squad and the Tanger Hillel Society. Sarit will be attending the Class of 2026 Hunter Physical Therapy Program.

Brianna Levy ‘23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.8 GPA and an internship offer at Area 23 as an editorial intern. In Summer and Fall 2022, she interned at Bloomberg LP and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert respectively. She leaves behind six poems in Encounters Magazine, and one article in Dollars and Sense Magazine. Her favorite place at Baruch is the 3rd floor Media Suite, which she says “will always have a place in her heart.” She wishes everyone the best of luck on their journeys, and says that if you ever want to meet up and just walk,

Julia Dolega '23 (Baruch) is excited to be graduating summa cum laude and will be starting her full-time analyst role at Citigroup this July.

Jesse Morales '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. Jesse was a finalist in the University of Hertfordshire's 2022 Design Sprint International and feels confident about the future.

Jessica Ng '23 (Queens) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA and has accepted a full-time offer with Amazon as an HR Business Partner. During her time at Macaulay, she completed HR internships with the New York Yankees, Madison Square Garden, and Commonpoint Queens. Jessica was part of the Macaulay business club's tech commitee and served as secretary of the Macaulay psychology club. During her senior year, she modeled for CUNY's "Degrees without the Debt" and KITH campaigns.

Taina Valentin '23 (John Jay) is graduating Summa cum laude. Taina will be attending Washington University Law School this Fall!

Daniel Gurvich '23 (Baruch) has been accepted to Johns Hopkins University's M.S. in Cybersecurity (Cyber-Physical Systems) - Engineering for Professionals Program at the Whiting School of Engineering.

Aliza Oza '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.99 GPA. Aliza has accepted a full-time position at the Bank of New York Mellon. She will be joining their Emerging Leaders Program within the Asset Servicing and Digital Department.

Saifa Khan ‘23 graduated summa cum laude from Baruch College in December. She accepted a full-time position at Kundiman, an organization committed to nurturing the Asian American literary space.

Abir Sarker '23 (Hunter) is graduating with departmental honors in biochemistry and a 3.89 GPA. Abir has spent two years researching in Dr.Matsui's Lab at Weill Cornell, working on iron-oxide nanocages and their use as delivery vehicles for cancer treatment and drug delivery. He also volunteers regularly at Mount Sinai, and Weill Cornell -New York Presbysterian. Ultimately, he aspires to be a physician and will apply to medical school the following June.

Julian Perez '23 (John Jay) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Julian presented his Capstone Research, "Justified: Support for Vigilantism," at the Eastern Psychology Association Convention this past March in Boston with his Professor MaryBeth Apriceno. He hopes to get his Capstone published and wants to continue his education by attending law school in 2024

Isabel Laus '23 (Hunter) will continue her academic career as a Social Work graduate student at the Columbia School of Social Work in hopes of giving back to her community and forging her career as a therapist!

Ashley Chen '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Sociology.She will be continuing to work at CPC post-graduation and will be attending NYU Wagner in the fall where she will be obtaining her MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy. She is currently the Vice President of Legislative Affairs at the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and a Policy Fellow at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC).

Layla Alshameh is graduating with honors in Human Biology and a Certificate in Business Studies. She has fallen in love with veterinary medicine and currently works as a Veterinary Technician, planning to apply to Vet school in the upcoming cycle. She has completed research at MSK with the SCORE program and wants to continue animal research in the city. She is also a Goldsmith Scholar and devotes her time to volunteering at the Urban Outreach Center of NYC, where she participates in weekly food pantries and soup kitchens to aid those dealing with food insecurity and homelessness.

Ángela Veras Oriach '23 (Lehman) is graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. Ángela will be continuing their education in physical therapy and making rowing accessible as an instructor for the nonprofit Row New York.

Michael Lyashenko '23 (Hunter) is graduating with a 3.98 GPA and has been accepted to the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry class of 2027.

Gadharv Kaur '23 (Queens) is graduating an entire year early from Queens College with a 4.0 GPA. She is a recipient of the Goldsmith Scholar award and the Donald Kirkpatrick Scholarship. In addition to being a diligent student, she is also Co-President of the Macaulay Queens Event Planning Committee. She spent her winter studying abroad in South Korea, which allowed her to strengthen the layout of her educational and professional journey. She is the proud daughter of immigrant parents and a first-generation college student who is working towards her dream of becoming a lawyer who will help the voiceless.

Andrew Kobrin '23 (Hunter) recieved an acceptance for the PA program at Stony Brook University.

Alexa Barisano '23 (John Jay) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. As a Law and Society major, she has done a lot of research about how laws are directly impacting communities in and around New York City during her time on the John Jay College Legal Disruption Project. Her capstone research specifically focuses on which social networks are contributing factors to educational success for K-12 students. For her gap year, she has accepted a job offer to be Special Assistant to the CEO at University Settlement!

Stella Mathew ‘23 (Brooklyn) is graduating as a Goldsmith Scholar and will be continuing her education in nursing.

Cailyn Hinds ‘23 (Queens) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. Over the summer, she will be completing a Social Work Internship with Lawyers for Children. She will also continue volunteering with Digital Page Organization and conducting research to gain experience. Cailyn looks forward to returning to a graduate program and earning her PhD in Psychology.

Darvin Huang '23 (Hunter) is graduating with a 3.84 GPA with a major in biochemistry and a minor in economics. He is grateful for all the friends he's made along the way and all the support Macaulay has provided. Through his time at Hunter, he has been involved with research, volunteering, and mentoring. He is excited for what the future holds as he pursues a career in medicine.

Felicia Gambino ‘23 (CSI) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. Felicia was offered a full time position with the Department of Development and Alumni Relations at Pace University where she will also be completing her Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management.

Justine Molinari is graduating with a 3.94 GPA from the BA/MA Economics Program at Hunter College. She is excited to be starting as an Analytics Representative at Bloomberg L.P. in the fall.

Havi Pham '23 (Queens) will be graduating with a double major in English and Communication Sciences & Disorders with a minor in Writing. Fully immersed in language since the beginning of her academic career, Havi's interests have led her to study Audiology, a field that seamlessly intertwines her passions for language and music. This fall, she will pursue her Au.D. at the CUNY Graduate Center. There is still much about the field that inspires her, and she hopes to be able to continue research in pitch perception and tonal languages to expand the field of Audiology and help others.

Danielle Malpa '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a BBA in Statistics & Quantitative Modeling and a minor in Economics and Finance. After graduating in December, Danielle has been working full time as a Credit Portfolio Risk Analyst at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank.

Emilie Aviles '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA in Linguistics and minors in Film and History. She's excited to explore the opportunities ahead of her and will spend the summer with family before applying to graduate school.

Gav Meiri '23 (Queens) is graduating with 3.9 GPA. He will be beginning as a public high school history teacher in the fall as he undertakes his graduate studies at CUNY.

Isljam Purisic '23 (City College) is graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering in Structural Civil Engineering. He is currently interning at Thornton Tomasetti's structural forensics department. He is excited to see what his journey ahead holds as he climbs his way to the status of structural engineer.

Ariel Abramova ‘23 (Brooklyn) is incredibly excited to be attending Northeastern University to pursue a Master’s in Human Resources and has received a dream job offer in Talent Acquisition & Communication!

Anuja Deodat graduated from Baruch College in the Fall semester, and started working at KPMG in January 2023. She is currently pursuing a career in Federal Audit in Washington, DC.

Tahrima Chowdhury '23 (Hunter) is graduating with a 3.8 GPA and a degree in Psychology. She has been involved in various forms of research, such as studies on the neuronal circuitry underlying transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment for depression and studies focused on the mental health and ethnic identity development of Asian American college students. She is also a part of the Bronx Mental Health Leaders, which is dedicated to increasing mental health awareness and improving the lives of Bronx natives. Tahrima will continue doing research and work toward a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Evelyn Velez '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. After a successful summer internship as a Software Engineer & Application Developer at Healthfirst, she received a full-time offer and will start working in September.

Alexandra Kern '23 (Hunter) is graduating with degree in Biology and a 3.9 GPA. Alexandra was accepted into the Macaulay/SPH 4+1 program and will continue her studies at the CUNY SPH towards a Master of Public Health (MPH) on the Health Policy and Management track. She accepted an internship with the Hospital for Special Surgery Education Institute where she assists in data analytics and public health programming. In the future, Alexandra hopes to apply her knowledge and experience in public health to a career as a physician and advocate for improved healthcare policies and access to care.

Areej Hassan '23 (CSI) was accepted to CSI's Doctorate of Physical Therapy program, class of 2026!

Samuel Faynleyb '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a major in Statistics and Quantitative Modeling and double minors in Economics and Finance, as well as Interdisciplinary Arts of New York City. With an impressive 3.95 GPA, Samuel has demonstrated a remarkable ability to balance his academic pursuits with his many other interests. His dedication and hard work have paid off, as he has secured a full-time position at BMO Capital Markets in their Global Markets Division.

Genevieve Pastena '23 (Lehman) is graduating with a B.A. in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Minor in Early Childhood Education. She will be pursuing an M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology. She was part of the Macaulay Theater Club: participating in their Fall 2019 rendition of Pippin the Musical and Fall 2020 Cabaret. In the 2021-22 academic year, she was a Macaulay Peer Mentor, and during that same year, she also played as a starting midfielder/forward for the Lehman Women's Soccer team, which made it to the CUNY Championship game.

Cassandra Paone '23 (Staten Island) is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has conducted research titled "Integrative Literature Review of the Cognitive Performance of Elderly Population Aged 65 Years and Older After Coronavirus Disease." She has worked as a Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology tutor throughout her time at CSI. She is looking forward to working as a travel nurse in the future.

Jessica Yeroshalmi '23 is graduating summa cum laude from Baruch College and will be attending Columbia Law school in the Fall.

Emily Oliveira ’23 (Lehman) is graduating with a BS in Health Services Admin and is the first in her family to graduate college. She will begin her career at VNS Health as an Emergency Preparedness Associate before pursuing her master's in the spring. She intends to return to Brazil this summer to volunteer as a teacher in her hometown. She hopes to publish her honors thesis on the estimated cost of a college degree after losing public benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid, and Sect 8. She is grateful for the life-long friendships made within her cohort and is excited to

Joya Pariyal '23 (Queens) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA in Comparative Literature. Joya has been a Mellon Mays Undergrate Fellow, a CUNY Pipeline Fellow, recipient of the Donald I. Brownstein/John McDermott Scholarship in Humanities, and most recently, the Paul Zweig Award for Comparative Literature. She has presented her thesis research at two academic conferences and has published a literary review online. She plans to continue to pursue a career in the literary/publishing industry and develop a career in creative fiction/literary essays.

Isabel Clarkin ‘23 (Brooklyn) really did a fire job. Just excellent. Good job. She’ll probably do another cool thing soon

Ayah Ahmad '23 (Hunter) is graduating with a BA in Biological Sciences and minor in Human Rights. She traveled abroad for a medical internship in Morocco using Macaulay's Opportunities Fund and is applying to medical school this upcoming cycle.

Lauren Jones '23 (Baruch) is feeling accomplished after graduating. She is ready to enjoy her summer and looks forward to starting her career at Fitch Group in September.

Chaamy Yapa '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. During her senior year, she completed an honors thesis research in examining transcriptional regulators in muscle development in Drosophila melanogaster. Chaamy is excited to continue research in a clinical setting after graduation before matriculating into medical school.

Pooja Suganthan ‘23 (Hunter) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA, BA in Honors Biology, and minor in Psychology. Pooja is a first-gen student, John P. McNulty Scholar, and Horace W. Goldsmith Scholar. She was a dancer on Macaulay Deewane and president of Macaulay Peer Mentors & Orientation Leaders. Pooja has accepted a job offer as a medical scribe and will apply to medical school in the upcoming cycle.

Dhelis Cepeda '23 (Hunter) is a first-generation graduate. She is proud to represent Christ, her Dominican heritage, and her parents in this achievement, as well as in her accepted role as Graphic Designer and Marketing Assistant at ShayCPA PC.

Nicole Davidov '23 (Hunter) is graduating with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology. She looks forward to continuing her education in dental school.Nicole Davidov '23 (Hunter) is graduating with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology. She looks forward to continuing her education in dental school.

Emanuela Gallo ‘23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.98 GPA as Baruch’s valedictorian, double majoring in journalism and political science. She intends to continue her education at law school. In her senior year, she served as the editor-in-chief of The Ticker, Baruch’s student-run and independent newspaper. She also was the director of mentorship of the Baruch Pre-Law Society. She also recently won Baruch's Excellence Award in Journalism, Fannie Davis Prize, Henry Wollman Prize, Student Media Services Award, Susan A. Locke Award, and Arnold Picker Excellence Award in Modern Languages.

Tanya Grazi ‘23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Tanya has been chosen as a valedictorian candidate and has been accepted into a selective doctoral program in Audiology at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Jake Bivas '23 (Brooklyn) has completed a degree in Business Management with Cum Laude standing, and will be continuing on to dental school at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

Natalie Marino is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. She has completed multiple research experiences, been featured in Macy’s Hispanic Heritage Month campaign and Univision. During her time in college, she advocated for more student mental health services in SUNYs and CUNYs, served as a mentor for students at Lehman, interned at the American Red Cross as a Community and Government Relations intern, and is a research fellow and team research manager for the Hispanic Federation. Dedicated to research and mental health, she will work towards pursuing a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology.

Alijah Sepulveda is graduating with a 3.7 GPA. Alijah has been a scholar under the Ronald E. McNair program, where she started her independent research project. Her research project won an award at the SAEOPP/McNair 2022 conference under the social science category. Alijah was also awarded the BRIDGE Access Path to Psychology and Law Experience as a junior undergraduate student.

Leslie Andrade ’23 (Hunter), after finishing her undergraduate studies in December, concurrently pursued a marketing externship at Kepler Academy and a digital marketing apprenticeship at COOP Careers, which is scheduled to conclude next month. With these experiences under her belt, she is enthusiastic about utilizing her education and skills to land a full-time position in the digital marketing industry.

Julie Margolin '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.99 GPA. She has received two awards for academic achievement in statistics and another two for her dedication and contribution to her college. She is also a graduate of the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship. This summer, Julie will be interning at Plankton Energy in hopes of kickstarting her career in renewables.

Salvatore Cicco '23 (Queens) is graduating with a 3.92 GPA. He is graduating as a Quantitative Economics major and has been awarded with high honors in economics, is a recipient of the Mary O'Connor Faculty Award Scholarship, and has also completed a minor in Computer Science. In the beginning of 2023, Salvatore accepted a full time position as Senior Project Manager where he currently plans on furthering his career.

Sarah Shalan ‘23(Hunter) is graduating with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Human Rights. She’s planning on attending Columbia University’s MA in Human Rights Studies in Fall of 2023.

Angelina Medina '23 (Baruch/CUNY BA) is graduating with two personally designed majors: Art History & Arts Administration and Spanish & French Language Studies. She participated in nine internships, including two Smithsonian museums and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the fall, she plans to continue working at the art gallery Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary and to attend the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, to pursue her master's degree in art history.

Haseeb Khan '23 (Brooklyn) is an incoming software engineer at Haven Tech, Peer mentor for 3 years and student lounge volunteer for 4 years.

Coco Mong, Class of '23, is graduating as the Valedictorian of the Spitzer School of Architecture at City College. She is excited to begin her career journey and aims to pursue architecture licensure while designing for educational sectors. Coco will join Perkins Eastman this June. During her time in school, she was a Colin Powell Climate Policy fellow and completed internships at Gensler, the NYC Department of Buildings, and the NYC Department of Design and Construction.

Aaron Malekan and Adina Shamieva '23 (Hunter) are both graduating with dual majors with aspirations of becoming physicians. They are looking forward to applying to medical school and travel together on their gap year.

Peter Mainetti '23 (Queens) is graduating from the Aaron Copland School of Music. Peter is a composer, pianist, and violinist and will receive a BA in Composition and a minor in Business and Liberal Arts. He has had over 15 original compositions performed at Queens College and will continue his studies in composition.

Ilana Sedaka '23 (Baruch) is graduating from Macaulay, having started two successful commerce businesses as well as obtaining both her New York and Florida Real Estate Licenses.

George Melek '23 (Staten Island) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and is a Stavros Niarchos Foundation Scholar from his study abroad time in Greece. He will start a Software Development Engineer role at Amazon in September.

Alanna Kroening '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA in her self-designed CUNY/BA major, Digital & Multi-Media Design. She is grateful to have made it through the last four years and excited for what the future holds for her!

Syeda Tabassum '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating early with an interdisciplinary major in Computer Science and Society. Her thesis and research work have informed nationwide funding. She has been offered a full-time Software Engineer position at American Express.

Jasmine He '23 (Hunter) has been working for the past two years as a veterinary assistant in the intensive care unit under the Emergency and Critical Care service at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group. She will be pursuing her education further at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine.

Abdur-Rahman Syed '23 (Lehman) is a Junior who will be graduating a year early with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. He has recently accepted a full-time position as a Software Engineer at The Fitch Group. Abdur-Rahman plans to pursue his MBA on a part-time basis in the coming years.

Rachel Brunner ‘23 (Queens) is graduating with a bachelors in mathematics. She is the recipient of the Thomas A. Budne award for excellence in Mathematics, as well as the Molly Weinstein award for outstanding scholarship. Rachel will be beginning her graduate education in the Fall at the PhD program in mathematics at Drexel University.

Daniel Varghese ’23 (Queens) graduated with his B.A. in Mathematics and is working full-time as a Risk Analyst at ClearBridge Investments.

Sabella Vaserman ‘23 (CSI) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA and beginning her career at JPMorgan Chase as a part of their Corporate Analyst Development Program.

Hunter Moran ‘23 (yes, Hunter College) majored in Economics on the pre-med track with minors in Public Policy and Music. He intends to matriculate into medical school to become a physician-scientist. Hunter was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship to serve as an epidemiology research assistant in Copenhagen, Denmark, investigating the socioeconomic impacts of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Hunter is the Vice Chair of the Hunter College Senate, a student representative on the Presidential Search Committee, and a men’s varsity volleyball team member.

Helena Macrigiane '23 (Hunter) is completing a double major in Economics and Studio Art as well as a Certificate in Business Studies. After graduating from Macaulay, she will be joining TCW’s Private Credit group as a full-time Associate here in New York City. She is a Cooperman Business Fellow, a Pamela J. Craig Scholar, a former CUNY Investment Industry Fellow with Centerbridge Partners, and was the first Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program Alumnus at Hunter.

Taina Ortiz '23 (Brooklyn) will be graduating summa cum laude and is looking forward to the next phase of her life!

Sarane James '23 (Hunter) will be the first author of an academic paper accepted to the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS) Annual Meeting 2023 and will be studying abroad in Japan this summer!

Labiba Nazrul '23 (City College) is graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Psychology. Labiba has had her research and studio work published by the Guggenheim Museum and The Architects Newspaper. She has received scholarships from Professional Women in Construction and WX. During her time at CCNY, she has served as a Climate Policy Fellow, CCNY Honors Mentor and Vice President of the CCNY American Institute of Architecture Students. Post graduation, Labiba looks forward to traveling with friends before starting her full time job in July.

Nick Lamphier '22 (Hunter) is graduating as a Statistics major, Goldsmith Scholar, and Grove Public Policy Fellow. He will continue his work at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), focusing on data analytics and management in the School Mental Health program.

James Brischetta '23 is graduating from Brooklyn College having composed two community Oral History projects, and looks forward to exploring social histories further and producing more educational content in the future.

Marieya Jagroop ‘23 (John Jay) is a first-generation student graduating Summa Cum Laude (3.99 GPA) with her BA in Political Science with a double minor in Psychology and Latinx Studies. Marieya will be attending Cornell Law School on a scholarship this fall. Marieya has served on Macaulay Scholars Council for her entire 4 years, while also serving as VP of IT/Comms her senior year.

Noorkamal Kaur '23 (Queens) will be attending the Physicians Assistant program in the summer of 2024.

Yasmine Abdeldayem '23 (CSI) is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. After working to make arts administration more equitable in her time with Americans for the Arts, Yasmine has recently completed a nine-month internship at Hachette Book Group. She looks forward to a career that, wherever it may take her, will always be rooted in the celebration of powerful stories, resonant voices, and fighting for equity in humanities.

uha Chaudhury '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a BBA in Economics. She plans to take a gap year where she will work and travel before attending law school in the Fall of 2024. She is the recipient of the Dr. Susan A. Locke Award and Joyce Brown Class of 1991 Award for selfless service to the Baruch and Macaulay community. During her term as president of the Scholars Council, she has served on multiple search committees and advocated for student issues like advising, the inclusion of halal food at events, and a transparent policy for prayer at the Macaulay building.

Thomas Bossert '23 (College of Staten Island) is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN). Thomas is a Goldsmith Scholar, and studied abroad at the Arts and Sciences Program at Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy. He plans on working as a registered professional nurse and continuing his education to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Diya Vanjani '23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She has received a full-time offer from Bank of America for their Financial Management Analyst Program.

Alaa Hamdan ’23 is graduating with honors in a Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in biochemistry, chemistry and Spanish. Alaa has worked as an undergraduate neuroscience researcher and received support for her work from programs such as the NIH and LSAMP. She is a college assistant working as a peer academic tutor and is nationally certified through CRLA. After her journey through undergrad, Alaa hopes for the chance to learn more about the world we live in.

Jiale (Jerry) Chen '23 (City College) will be graduating with a major in Applied Mathematics and minors in Computer Science and Economics. Looking into the future, he will pursue the Master of Science program in Business Analytics (MSBA) at Columbia.

Mariae Julia (MJ) Robis ‘23 (Lehman) majored in Biochemistry and is graduating with a 3.9 GPA. MJ did research on radioisotopes specifically Ti/Sc separations at her home campus and as a member of the Horizon-broadening Isotope Production Pipeline Opportunities (HIPPO) program. She aims to become a Medical Perfusionist and is continually striving for self-actualization as an appendage of her society and the world.

Annah Valenta '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a 3.98 GPA. Annah accepted a Legal Recruiting Assistant position at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and she plans to apply to law school this fall.

Morgan Magee '23 is graduating with honors and a degree in Biology. She has had the pleasure of presenting her research on Drosophila melanogaster though Professor Spokony's (Baruch) genetics lab at the MACUB conference this past year and is awaiting the publishing of a scientific text with her name and research featured. She looks forward to continuing her education to pursue a career in the medical field.

Michael Anchor '23 (Brooklyn) is graduating with a BA in Film with a concentration in Film Production. Michael's written work has been continuously featured in CUNY's Stuck In The Library magazine. His thesis short film "Movie Night" will be featured in the Brooklyn College Film Festival on May 31st, 2023. In addition, Michael has also been accepted into the Disney College Program in Orlando, Florida and will be attending from October 2023 to May 2024.

Nicole Gonik '23 (Hunter) is graduating this semester with a double major in Russian Language/Culture and Political Science and a minor in International Relations. For next year, she has been awarded a James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship for the Russia/Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She has also been awarded a Fulbright ETA spot in Latvia. She plans to apply to Slavic Studies PhD programs in the upcoming application cycle, with the goal of entering graduate school after completing the Gaither fellowship.

Sarafina Lin '23 (CCNY) is graduating with a 3.8 GPA. She is both a Goldsmith and Gilman scholar, and will be working at Corning Incorporated as a Melting Process Engineer.

Dennis Merzlika'23 during his time at Baruch College had been the Vice President of the Macaulay Business Club, Director of TMT Coverage at Baruch's Investment Management Group, a Participant in Baruch's Financial Leadership Program, a Member of the Zicklin Undergraduate Honors Program, a Finance intern at Virtu Financial, a Prime Services Summer Analyst at CIBC Capital Markets, and an ESG intern at Shenkman Capital.

Aryeh Kalb '23 (Lehman) is graduating cum laude and has been inducted into National Political Science Honors Society Pi Sigma Alpha. Next year he will be pursuing a PhD in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Michelle Nnebe ‘23 (Queens College) graduated Summa Cum Laude in December. She double majored in Communication Sciences & Disorders and Psychology. She will be pursuing Speech and Language Pathology post-grad. During her gap year, Michelle is working with the special education population in a school setting and looks forward to the prospect of shadowing an SLP in a clinical setting.

Josh Spektor ‘23 (Baruch) is graduating with a 3.99 GPA with a BA in Actuarial Science. Josh has been President of the Baruch Actuarial Science Society since 2022. After completing six actuarial exams in 18 months, Josh is set to join the Pacific Life Insurance Company full time as an actuarial analyst.

Elizabeth Bianco '23 (Hunter) is graduating from Hunter College with a double major in Anthropology and English Literature. She is going on to continue her studies at the University College Dublin this fall where she will be working towards her MSc in Archaeology.

Gabriella Quinones ’23 (Staten Island), is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Marketing and Management with Summa Cum Laude honors. Gabriella has interned with renowned publishing firm, Penguin Random House and marketing agency, Stopwatch Creative. Gabriella has also completed a Honors Thesis in Marketing that investigated the pandemic’s influence on the holiday shopping season. Gabriella is enthusiastic about beginning her career in business upon graduation.

Ahmad Choudhry ’23 (Baruch) started his professional career as a chemist and programmer. He then became enthralled in the world of finance having interned at Hudson Bay Capital and Rothschild & Co. On campus, he was the CEO of Baruch’s Investment Management Group and the Teaching Assistant for Baruch’s Financial Leadership Program. After graduation, he will join PJT Partners as a Restructuring & Special Situations Analyst and will continue to serve as a Board Member for Beam Center a Brooklyn based nonprofit organization.

Uma Bullock ‘23 (Brooklyn) discovered her passion for documentary film thanks to Macaulay and Professor Small, which provided her with the tools and inspiration to continue in the field. She also completed an internship with Professor Small, where she created a short film to encourage more funding for free laptops for incoming Macaulay students. She is graduating with a 3.9 GPA and is looking forward to see where these accomplishments will take her.

Nadiya Sivin-Kachala '23 (Hunter) is excited to graduate. They will be attending CCNY in the fall for a master's program in psychology. They will also try to get their research on chronic pain and non-prescribed opioid use published this summer.

Alexandra Montella '23 (CSI) is receiving a Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Finance and Legal Studies.

Salina Liu '23 (City) is graduating with a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Asian Studies. Salina has interned at various sustainability-related organizations and been an E-board member in student clubs such as Engineers Without Borders and Macaulay Art Tank. Thanks to MHC and their family's support, they were able to study abroad in South Korea during the Winter 2022-2023 semester. Post-graduation, they hope to contribute to NYC sustainability efforts by working as an engineer at a NYC firm specializing in HVAC, building performance and energy efficiency.

Tony Shu '23 (Baruch) feels great about graduating and looks forward toward the future!

Michael Stawski '23 (CCNY) is graduating with honors in Chemistry. Michael received the Harold Scheraga Honorary Distinction award and was accepted into the postbaccalaureate Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biodesign RaMP program.

Pam Leybengrub ‘23 graduated Summa Cum Laude this past December. Pam is currently working as a medical assistant and also working in a research lab. Pam will be attending medical school this fall.