New Paltz, NY – The State University of New York at New Paltz Athletics, Wellness and Recreation Department announced the first and second-year inductees of the Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society Wednesday.

Chi Alpha Sigma National Honor Society is a nonprofit organization that celebrates the academic achievement of student-athletes. In order to be enshrined, student-athletes must have participated in at least one sport for the Hawks, while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.40 or above as a senior. Student-athletes can only be honored twice during their Hawks career.

The Athletics, Wellness & Recreation Department held a gathering in the Hawk Center Wednesday to honor all those enshrined in the prestegious national honor society with student-athletes, staff and proffesors in attendance. 
   

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Danielle Angyal (Senior, Women's Soccer)
Major: Geography, Urban Planning Concentration
Minor: Disaster Studies
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021) SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons)
Faculty Member: Scott Le Vine (Geography)
Quote: "Promises made and promises kept... Because I said I would"-Alex Sheen
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A
 


Matthew Araujo (Senior, Men's Soccer)
Major: Electrical Engineering
Academic Accolades: Dean' List (Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021) SUNYAC Academic Commissioner's Honor Roll (Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021)
Faculty Member: Julio Gonzalez (Electrical Engineering)
Quote: "It ain't about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."- Rocky
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: Organization, hard work, time management, and determination.
Career Aspirations: N/A
 

Jessica Ascencao (Senior, Field Hockey)
Major: Adolescent Education with a concentration in Physics
Academic Accolades: Deans List(Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), Chi Alpha Sigma member in 2021, NFHCA DIII All-Academic Squad: 2018-2019, 2021-2022, SUNYAC Commissioners Academic Honor Roll: 2018-2019, SUNYAC Field Hockey Scholar Athlete of the Year: 2021
Faculty Member: Dr.Catherine Herne (Physics)
Quote: "The only person who can stop you from reaching your goals is you"
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: I hope to be a high school physics teacher and field hockey coach.

 
Brandon Bernard (Senior, Baseball)
Major: Political Science
Minor: Economics, International Relations
Academic Accolades: Deans list Spring 2020-Fall 2020
Faculty Member: Blair Proctor (Black Studies)
Quote: "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare today"- Malcolm X
Academic Moment: Getting my first grades here. In my first semester at school I had tried to do what I had did in high school by not studying or working outside of class which gave me all B's. I then realized that I had to work outside of class and put both time and effort into the things I was doing. Doing this made the study habits I have today and the work ethic in school I have today. After getting my first A in a class I realized that I could do the work that I needed to do.
Secret to Success: My iPad and writing everything down. It also helps that I am in the library all the time.
Career Aspirations: The President of the United States. 2036 be ready
 
Shannon Bernhardt (Senior, Field Hockey)
Major: 4+1 BA/MAT Mathematics/Adolescent Education
Minor: Deaf Studies
Academic Accolades: SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2018-2022), Member of the honors program (2018-2022), Wrote and presented an honors thesis on math anxiety in Fall 202, Dean's List (2018-2022)
Faculty Member: Jason Huang (Math Education)
Quote: "Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there..."- John Wooden
Academic Moment: One of the most impactful academic experiences I've had at SUNY New Paltz occured at the end of the Fall 2021 semester when I presented my honors thesis on math anxiety.  Throughout the entire semester, I put in so much hard work in order to make the project and presentation comprehensive and strong. My family members, friends, teammates, classmates, and professors attended my presentation to show their support of my academic endeavors.  To do this day, it is something I'm most proud of accomplishing.
Secret to Success: My secret to success is having faith that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.  Life tends to get super stressful, especially in regards to athletics and academics.  I feel most at peace when I am giving my best effort towards my academics and athletics, while still making sure to take care of my mental health.
Career Aspirations: I am pursuing a career in math education.  I plan to work as a high school math teacher and will hopefully have the opportunity to coach field hockey as well.  In the future, I might consider earning my PhD in math education and teaching at the collegiate level

Mackenzie Bills (Junior, Women's Volleyball)
Major: Psychology
Minor: Sociology
Academic Accolades: Deans List ( Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2021)
SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor-Roll (2019, 2020)
Faculty Member: Clifford Evans (Psychology)
Quote: "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzengger
Academic Moment: Fall 2021 we were finally able to have a season again after missing a year due to COVID. This also happened to be my hardest semester academically and was a lot to balance. I struggled with time management and I felt defeated at some points thinking I did not have enough time to get everything done. Through this challenge I pushed myself to find time for work even with the time commitment of sport, and ended up having my best semester academically.
Secret to Success: Planning out my days with time set aside for school work around practices/lifts.
Career Aspirations: I hope to use my Psychology degree to help people, but specifics are not yet decided.

Michael Boccarossa (Senior, Baseball)
Major: Sociology
Minor: Deaf Studies
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (all semesters)
Faculty Member: Mette Christiansen (Sociology)
Quote: "Some people want it to happen. Some wish it would happen. Others make it happen." - Michael Jordan
Academic Moment: Throughout my first semester sophomore year I struggled with my classes and had a rough semester. I did not do nearly as good as I had hoped to do in my classes. However, going into my second semester sophomore year I had a mindset to conquer the semester and be extremely successful in the classroom. That semester is when COVID-19 shut school down, throughout all of the obstacles and switching to online learning I still received great grades and had my best semester yet.
This experience has shaped me as a learner because I now know that when times get tough and the workload gets harder I can push myself through it and still receive good grades.
Secret to Success:      My secret to success is planning out my my week, every week, and creating a schedule for myself. I often make sure that I have enough time to do my work for my classes and balance baseball and school..
Career Aspirations: My future career aspirations are to become a school counselor or teacher and coach baseball and football in that school district. I want to be able to mentor young students to help them through the journey of life and all the obstacles that come their way.
 
Elizabeth Braun (Senior, Women's Lacrosse)
Major: Early childhood/childhood education
Minor: Concentration - English
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (fall 2019, spring 2020, fall 2020, spring 2021, fall 2021)
 SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2019-2020, 2020-2021)
Hawks Academic Honor Roll
Faculty Member:  Erin Newcomb (Education)
Quote: "If you can dream it you can do it" - Walt Disney
Academic Moment: The pandemic has truly shown how much our professors care for us. I have had a positive experience with my professors. They have gone above and beyond to make sure we are actually learning the information. They are flexible and are willing to work with us.
Secret to Success: working hard even when no one is watching
Career Aspirations: After graduation I hope to get a full time teaching position.

Shannon Brosnan (Junior, Women's Lacrosse)
Major: Communications
Minor: Industrial Organizational Psychology
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021...)
Faculty Member: Soeyoon Choi (Communications)
Quote: "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it‚" - Michael Jordan
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: Staying positive and forming relationships with the people around me has been my secret to success for the past two years in college. It has built my confidence and has taught me valuable lessons for my future career.
Career Aspirations: I aspire to work with others and incorporate my leadership skills from the field into the workplace. I tend to take life day by day so I will continue to find new interests and explore more opportunities that come my way.

Maddy Carullo (Senior, Women's Lacrosse)
Major: Communication Disorders
Minor: Deaf Studies
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2022)
Hawks Academic Honor Roll (2021-2022), SUNYAC Commissioners Academic Honor Roll (2019-2020, 2020-2021)
Faculty Member: Dr. Lynne Telesca (Communication Disorders)
Quote: "It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up." - Vince Lombardi
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A

Alexandria Chimenti (Senior, Women's Tennis)
Major: Visual Arts Education
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (All Semesters), Donald Bishko Award 2021, SUNYAC Commissioner's Honor Roll 2018,2019,2020, Hawks Academic Honor Roll 2021
Faculty Member: Cheryl Wheat Schmitt (School of Fine Arts)
Quote: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right"- Henry Ford
Academic Moment: Class critiques in my Figure Drawing class are always intimidating due to the high level of talent in the class. Due to her guidance and availability to ask for help, Professor Cheri Wheat allowed me to create some of my best work in her class. I will never forget speaking with Cheri about my final project for Figure Drawing during the Fall 2021 semester. I felt so lost in terms of this project and sorting out my many ideas. She was constantly reassuring me that I could find a way to convey the ideas I wanted to and provided me with so many helpful suggestions and resources to look into. New Paltz has amazing professors who are always willing to work with their students and this project pushed me beyond what I thought I could ever create.
Secret to Success: Time management is definitely the most important life line during college as well as reaching out to professors.
Career Aspirations: I hope to become an impactful Art Teacher to students of all abilities and inspire creative problem solving throughout all disciplines.

Cam Clark (Senior, Men's Volleyball)
Major: General Business
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), United Volleyball Conference All Academic Team (2020, 2021)
Faculty Member: Susan Tomaski (Business)
Quote: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" Vince Lombardi
Academic Moment: Working on a new product for a business entrepreneur class. I learned to have fresh ideas and do real world research on the product we were developing. We worked on this project the whole semester. Finishing the project and presenting our product at the business competition was a great feeling.
Secret to Success: To not get upset with a bad grade on an assignment. 99% of the time one assignment isn't going to kill your average and getting over that mistake can help you stay mentally positive on upcoming assignments.
Career Aspirations: I would like to pursue the marketing and advertising field. Preferably in the sports industry.


Alexandra Coyle (Junior, Women's Lacrosse)
Major: Early childhood education
Minor: Adolescent education
Academic Accolades: Deans list fall 2021 and spring 2021, fall 2022
Faculty Member: Cathy Johnan (Education)
Quote: Never say never, because limits, like fears are often illusions
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: Work hard and be confident in myself.
Career Aspirations: To become a future special education teacher!
 


Gabriel Cruz (Junior, Men's Soccer)
Major: General Business & Psychology
Academic Accolades: Dean's List
Faculty Member: Kathleen Geher (Psychology)
Quote: "At any given moment, we have two choices: step forward into growth or step backward into safety." -Abraham Maslow
Academic Moment: My first semester of college here at Suny New Paltz I was taking Introductory Psychology and didn't do well on my first test. I had studied and prepared but wasn't ready aware of the time commitment and extra work which was necessary to thrive academically at this level. I told myself I would become more organized in my studies for the next test and got I B+. Not an A but I then knew I was able to put in work and see real progression.
Secret to Success: Make a specific schedule to help conduct me through my week, ranking what is most important to least. This comes with putting specific time aside for each class and staying consistent with it.
Career Aspirations: I would like to work in the healthcare industry, but in the business/psychological side of things. An ideal situation would to be a Health Services/ Human Resources Manager in a holistic or conventional hospital. Just want to do something I enjoy and somewhere I feel like I'm positively impacting those around me.

Kyra D'Amico (Senior, Field Hockey)
Major: Adolescence Education: English
Minor: Linguistics
Academic Accolades: Dean's List Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021
Faculty Member: Joe Bellacero (Education)
Quote: "I am lucky that whatever fear I have within me, my desire to win is always stronger"
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A
 

Kelly Donlevy (Junior, Women's Swimming)
Major: Early Childhood & Childhood Education B-6: English
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (fall 2019, spring 2020, fall 2020, spring 2021, fall 2021)
Hawks Academic Honor Roll, 2019-2020 SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll
Faculty Member: Ramon Vasquez (Education)
Quote: "Failure is not the opposite of success; it's part of success" Arianna Huffington
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A
 

Ally Donovan (Junior, Women's Soccer)
Major: Early Childhood/Childhood Education
Minor: Deaf Studies
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2019- 2020), Hawks Academic Honor Roll (Fall 2021)
Faculty Member: Valeire Hannum (Education)
Quote: "Love the process and you'll love what the process produces"- Jon Gordon
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: Staying organized and managing your time well.
Career Aspirations: N/A
 

Jessica Funke (Junior, Women's Soccer)
Major: Early Childhood Education
Minor: Psychology
Academic Accolades: Deans List (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021)
Faculty Member: Maria Davenport (Education)
Quote: "You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them"- Michael Jordan
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: To be able to recognize when I may need help and not be afraid to reach out for support.
Career Aspirations: To become a special education teacher for elementary aged students
 


Natalia Lucia Giunta (Senior, Women's Swimming)
Major: Digital Media Production
Minor: Journalism & Film Studies
Academic Accolades: I made the Dean's list in the Spring of 2019, Fall of 2019 (had a 4.0) Spring of 2020 & Fall of 2021. I took Fall of 2020 off and only took one class in Spring of 2021. I had a 3.40 GPA going into my last semester at New Paltz. I was also inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta National Honor Society in the Spring of 2020. Lambda Pi Eta is the official Communication Studies honor society of the National Communication Association (NCA)
Faculty Member: Brett Barry. He was my professor for Audio Production, Radio/TV Performance, and TV Studio Production.
Quote: "Another day, another destiny." Everyday is a new opportunity to change and grow into the person you aspire to be. Your life is not defined by one bad grade or one bad practice. There's always another day to do and be better.
Academic Moment: I've had two moments while at New Paltz that have stuck with me. The first moment was when I achieved a 4.0 GPA for the first time. It was my goal all semester to work hard and stay on top of my classes. With such a rigorous practice schedule, there were many late nights having to stay up to complete all my work and then wake up at 5:30 AM to swim. I'm proud of myself for my accomplishments. Another good moment for me was when I was a volunteer videographer at the Woodstock Film Festival back in the fall. With the help of my professor, Megan Sperry, I was able to get so much experience working at the festival and doing what I love in a real-life setting. It was honestly a dream come true. An incredible few days that I will never forget.
Secret to Success: Even when things have been difficult, I've never given up. When my mental health hasn't been the greatest and my personal life has gone through many unexpected changes and oppositions, I've never let my academics and athletics falter. Swimming and school have always been positive aspects of my life that I'm constantly focused on
Career Aspirations:  I'm currently a swim coach for the Kingston Y Hurricanes. Now that I'm retired, I'd love to continue spreading my knowledge and love for swimming to younger generations of swimmers. Eventually though, I want to move down to Georgia and attend graduate school to receive my MFA in Digital Filmmaking or something very similar. I'd love to work closely with filmmakers and turn their film ideas into reality

Delilah Griger (Junior, Swimming & Diving)
Major: Biology
Minor: Deaf Studies
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021)
Faculty Member: Spencer Mass (Biology)
Quote: "Success isn't final, failure isn't fatal, it's courage that counts.‚" Alicia Coutts
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: Physician
 


Cayci Hill (Junior, Women's Lacrosse)
Major: Early Childhood/Childhood Education
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), Hawks Academic Honor Roll (Spring 2022) SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2019-2020)
Faculty Member: Dr. Asilia Franklin-Phipps (Teaching & learning)
Quote: "You don't always have to be on top of things. Not all days are the same, not everything goes as planned, and it is okay, Be patient with yourself." - We The Urban
Academic Moment: The transition to online learning during the Spring 2020 semester was a difficult adjustment  academically.  However, this experience exposed me to all the different ways that information can be retained. That experience challenged me to truly take charge of my own education and changed my perspective on what I view as knowledge!
Secret to Success: Time Management, Family and Friends, Self Care & Hobbies
Career Aspirations: After I graduate from SUNY New Paltz I intend to pursue a Masters' Degree in Education and teach Elementary School.
 
Michael Horner (Junior, Men's Soccer)
Major: Finance
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021)
Faculty Member: Paul Fenoillet (French)
Quote: "All progress takes place outside the comfort zone" - Michael John Bobak
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A
 



Olivia Ingalsbe (Senior, Women's Soccer)
Major: International Relations and French
Minor: Economics
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2019-2020, 2020-2021).)
Faculty Member: Mercedes Rooney (Languages, Literatures and Cultures)
Quote: Trust the process.
Academic Moment: Last fall semester was the most academically challenging semester of my college experience that pushed my limits in many ways. My Senior Seminar in International Relations was a course that pushed me in particular. There was a point where I broke down while on a virtual meeting with my professor, Professor Jonathon Schwartz, which is when he told me that I had already done all the preparation and research that I needed to do, and that I just needed to sit and write. Looking back, this moment taught me that while you may feel in the dark, taking action is the best way to move forwards and to get "unstuck." From action I found momentum and everything was pieced together little by little.
Secret to Success: A large part to my success has been making a list of all that I need to do and all that I want to make time for and finding a balance so that I can get my work done both productively and happily.
Career Aspirations: I am not sure what my future holds yet, but I hope to work in public relations, on an international level, utilizing the French language and helping others.

Megan Kerr (Junior, Women's Lacrosse)
Major: Metal
Academic Accolades: 3 year deans list scholar-athlete
Faculty Member: Lynn Batchelder (Metal)
Quote: Life is tough but so are you.
Academic Moment: I was working on a project a week ago and my class first discovered I transferred last semester. They said in response that I seem like I was meant to be here and that it was like I never got a late start. This was an uplifting moment for me.
Secret to Success: Time management, persistence, and patience
Career Aspirations: To become a jewelry designer.
 

Nicole Kleinegger (Junior, Women's Volleyball)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Academic Accolades: Dean's list for all semesters
Faculty Member: Matt Giufre (Women's Volleyball Coach)
Quote: N/A
Academic Moment: When I first got to college, I thought I could go about test the same way I did in high school, by hardly studying. I used my high school method to study for the first two chemistry test I had and quickly realized that that method does not work. I realized I needed to study more and I ended up doing very well on the chemistry final. This taught me that college is not going to be easy and that hard work pays off. 
Secret to Success: My secret to success is to get your work done and do not procrastinate. When you leave work for the last minute then you are rushing and feel overwhelmed. Doing this does not produce your best work and just adds to the stress you already have. I also learned that it is never too late to turn around your grades. If you put in the hard work and speak to your teachers, there are many ways to increase your average. 
Career Aspirations: I hope to attend graduate school and get my master's in civil engineering. 

 


Courtney Kruzikas (Senior, Field Hockey)
Major: International Business and Marketing
Minor: Spanish
Academic Accolades: Dean's List all four year of my college career, NFHCA 2018, Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad, SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll 2019-2021.
Faculty Member: Luz Porras (Languages, Literatures & Cultures)
Quote: "So what deal with it!" - Keith Waldman
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A
 

Nathaniel Lindsey (Junior, Men's Lacrosse)
Major: Adolescence Education, Concentration in English
Academic Accolades: Deans list fall 2019, deans list spring 2020, deans list fall 2020, deans list spring 2021, deans list fall 2021
Faculty Member: Michael Rosenberg (Education)
Quote: "Prove People Wrong"- my 9th grade German teacher
Academic Moment: My Fieldwork placement has helped me start to develop teaching skills and has given me the ability to connect with high school students for their success.
Secret to Success: I prioritize school over everything else.
Career Aspirations: I plan to attain a masters degree in special education and work as a 12:1:1 history teacher or an integrated history teacher
 
Julia Mastrup (Senior, Softball)
Major: Early Childhood/Childhood Education
Minor: Psychology and Deaf Studies
Academic Accolades: Dean's List every semester (Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll every year, Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, Captain of SUNY New Paltz Softball Team (2021-22), Member of New Paltz softball team, SAAC and Veteran Hawks Leadership Program Faculty Member: Lindsey Russo (Education)
Quote: Everything happens for a reason
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: My key to success was staying on top of my studies and never falling behind.
Career Aspirations: I want to motivate and impact my students' lives by instilling in them the belief that they can achieve anything they set their minds to and teaching them how to succeed.
 
Tomiko McGovern (Senior, Equestrian)
Major: General Business
Academic Accolades: Alpha Lambda Delta Fall 2018, Beta Gamma Sigma Fall 2021
Faculty Member: Chris Napolitano (Business)
Quote: "Dreams don't work unless you do"
Academic Moment: Working with multiple professors has helped shape my learning experience at New Paltz. Hearing stories from professionals has given me an insight to multiple industries.
Secret to Success: My secrets to success are being organized, working hard to achieve my goals, and determination.
Career Aspirations: I would like to work in Human Resources for a corporation.
 
Brittany Morasse (Senior, Women's Soccer)
Major: Marketing
Minor: Economics
Academic Accolades: Dean's List: Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021
Faculty Member: Susan Tomaski (Business)
Quote: "No one is going to hand me success. I must go out and get it myself. That's why I'm here. To dominate. To conquer. Both the world and myself." - Lewis Howes
Academic Moment: An instance in which I was shaped as a learner was during my History of Rock GE class. As much as it may seem it doesn't have to do with my major, it taught me other lessons. I came to realize I don't need to put an immense amount of pressure on every class I took. I ended up truly enjoying the class and learning information I otherwise would not have seemed out myself. I now always try practice patience in the places of my life I can.
Secret to Success: In my experience the secret to success is having great ambitions for yourself. Great ambitions balanced with patience and humility will lead to the best outcomes for any individual.
Career Aspirations: I plan to work in the sport industry, specifically in collegiate sports. I have come to love the industry through my own experience as a student-athlete, and internships I've acquired. I want to positively impact the programs I become apart of on an administrative level.
 
Mackenzie Mortimer (Senior, Field Hockey)
Major: Biology
Minor: Evolutionary Studies
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2020)
Faculty Member: David Richardson (Biology)
Quote: "The desire to succeed needs to be stronger than the fear of failure." - Gary Mack
Academic Moment: When the pandemic began in the middle of the Spring 2020 semester, I was nervous how I would perform academically with classes being remote. However, I found a certain type of drive to adapt that ultimately helped me find success. Since that semester, I have continued to be driven for success and have applied myself in all aspects of my education.
Secret to Success: Time management, resilience, reaching out for help when needed, and organization.
Career Aspirations: I plan on receiving my masters in public health, then attending medical school in hopes of becoming a pediatric physician.
 
Madison Mullman (Junior, Women's Basketball)
Major: Adolescence Education, Concentration in Mathematics
Minor: Psychology
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), Hawks Academic Honor Roll (Fall 2021)
Faculty Member: Amelia Rose (Education)
Quote: "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard" -Kevin Durant
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A
 


Paige Parker (Senior, Equestrian)
Major: General Business
Academic Accolades: Dean's List -- Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll -- 2019-2020
First Annual Hawks Academic Honor Roll -- Fall 2021
Faculty Member: Michael Sheridan (Business)
Quote: N/A
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: N/A
 

Spencer Ryczek (Senior, Men's Soccer)
Major: Finance & Marketing
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021), SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor-Roll (2019, 2020, 2021)
Faculty Member: Susan Tomaski (Business)
Quote: "Wake up determined, go to bed satisfied" - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Academic Moment: My first semester of college, I received my lowest GPA throughout my time here. It was an early eye opener for me because I knew I was capable of much more. From that moment on, I made sure I excelled academically. My point being, if you're willing to devote your time and put in the necessary work, your results will reflect that.
Secret to Success: Develop a schedule that works for you and stick to it, Effective time management will increase your productivity, Organization will make your life easier
Career Aspirations: After obtaining my MBA next year, I would like to find a job within the Finance or Marketing field. I have also started self-educating myself on the real estate industry, with the hope of owning many properties in the future. My overall goal is to be financially free, and provide for my future family.
 
Gracianna Serravillo (Junior, Women's Basketball)
Major: International Relations
Minor: Law and Politics
Academic Accolades: Deans List (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021)
Faculty Member: Nancy Kassop (Political Science)
Quote: "Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise"- Kobe Bryant
Academic Moment: I was taking my UN Semester class and I struggled at the beginning of the year. I had never taken a three hour class before and it was difficult to focus for the entire time. I put in a lot of effort on my research paper and into studying for the final. I finished the class with a B+, so not my best grade in a class. However, I was really proud of myself for the determination and effort I put into the class. I improved so much over the course of the semester. It was nice to see my hard work paying off.
Secret to Success: Using every bump in the road as an opportunity rather than a setback. There have been so many challenges within the past two years that we have all dealt with. I know I will be capable of overcoming challenges in the future because I have overcome so much in the past two years. This really comes down to having a positive mentality and mindset.
Career Aspirations: I have no concrete ideas about a possible future career. I just know that whatever I do I want to help people. Helping people will fulfill me in knowing that I am making a difference in others lives. Knowing I am making a difference will make the not-so-exciting idea of work an enjoyable experience.
 
Christopher Shanley (Senior, Men's Volleyball)
Major: Marketing
Minor: Communication Studies
Academic Accolades: United Volleyball Conference All Academic Team (2020)
Faculty Member: Chris Napolitano (Business)
Quote: "If you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail"- Mark Spitz
Academic Moment: A moment that has had a lasting impact on me as a student was taking the course Entrepreneurship and Business Planning and having the opportunity to participate in the SUNY New Paltz Business Plan competition with my group in Fall 2021. Taking this course taught me important lessons on how to operate a business, and also provided valuable lessons on how preparation and research will lead to success.
Secret to Success: My secret to success is just taking time before practice to complete my work and staying organized.
Career Aspirations: TBD
 
Katie Steele (Junior, Women's Volleyball)
Major: Early Childhood Education, Concentration in English
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021) 4.0 GPA in Fall 2021, SUNYAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, Hawks Academic Honor Roll
Faculty Member: Andrew Higgins (English)
Quote: "Real strength is knowing when you need help." -Bobby Wagner
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: When I become an elementary school teacher, I want to make a lasting impact on the lives of my students and help build a generation of curious learners.
 



Jonathan Tola (Senior, Men's Soccer)
Major: Biology
Minor: Psychology
Academic Accolades: Deans List (Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021)
Faculty Member: Nancy Campos (Science & Engineering)
Quote: Failure is not the opposite of success, its a part of success
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: Being honest with yourself about the work you put in when you're disappointed from the results and adjusting accordingly.
Career Aspirations: I am pursuing holistic medicine through Chiropractic.
 
Mia Waddell (Junior, Women's Volleyball)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021), SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2019, 2020, 2021)
Faculty Member: Rachmadian Wulandana
Quote: "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." -Michael Jordan
Academic Moment: I was doing poorly in a class, so I went to the professor's office hours where he really motivated me to keep going. I studied as much as I could for the last exam and did better than I ever could have imagined.
Secret to Success: Communicating and studying with classmates, going to office hours to build relationships with professors, and never giving up on assignments no matter how hard they are or how many there are to do.
Career Aspirations: I want to work for a company that is working towards evolving renewable resources. I want to make a positive impact on the world with my career.
 

Morgan Woolley (Junior, Field Hockey)
Major: Early Childhood & Childhood Education with a Concentration in Mathematics
Minor: Deaf Studies & Psychology
Academic Accolades: SUNYAC Commissioner's Honor Roll Fall 2020, SUNY New Paltz Dean's List Fall 2020, SUNY New Paltz Dean's List Spring 2021, SUNYAC Field Hockey Offensive Athlete of The Week Fall 2021, SUNYAC Commissioner's Honor Roll Fall 2021, Field Hockey SUNYAC Champion 2021, Hawks Academic Honor Roll Fall 2021, SUNY New Paltz Dean's List Fall 2021, Division III NFHCA All-Academic Team Fall 2021, NFHCA All-Academic Team (SUNY New Paltz Field Hockey Program) Fall 2021
Faculty Member:  Lori Wynters (Education)
Quote:  "Like it's your last." - Unknown
Academic Moment: An academic moment in my time here at SUNY New Paltz that had a lasting impact on me was fall as a whole in my freshman year. After finishing high school during the time of COVID-19 and going into my first semester of college I was extremely nervous. My first field hockey season was canceled, so there was already a large amount of stress that I was experiencing. During this time I learned to balance my time for school and sports better. If it wasn't for my teammates and Coach Szablinski from providing support on and off the field I would have had a much harder time adjusting to school. This moment also made me closer with all my teammates so I was never nervous to ask them for academic support.
Secret to Success: Although I am still working on it my secret to my success has been setting a certain standard for myself to meet. If I did not meet that standard I would take a step back and reflect on why it did not go exactly as I had expected it to. I also believe that being organized and reflecting on the small goals/accomplishments during the day helps me stay motivated and focused on what I am trying to achieve. Another part of supporting my success are my teammates. The New Paltz Field Hockey Program is very close on and off the field. The relationships off the field help us all to set aside to do homework or study in between classes and practices. This holds everyone accountable for their academics but also helps me feel like I am not alone if I am struggling on something in school.
Career Aspirations: In the future I would like to become a Special Education teacher and also find myself coaching field hockey at an advanced level.
 
Katie Zito (Senior, Women's Lacrosse)
Major: Early Childhood/Childhood Education (Concentration in Math)
Minor: Psychology
Academic Accolades: Dean's List (Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021), SUNYAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021)
Faculty Member: Rachel Lilley (Mathematics)
Quote: "Life has no limitations, except the ones you make." -Les Brown
Academic Moment: N/A
Secret to Success: N/A
Career Aspirations: I plan to either teach in an elementary school or continue my education to be able to teach middle school mathematics.

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