Class of 2025 Honored with Academic, Campus Life Awards

May 9, 2025

Each year, St. John Fisher University honors members of its graduating class who have achieved excellence in their academic studies and co-curricular pursuits.

Awards were given to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students during events held throughout the week. Students were also formally honored during their respective Commencement ceremonies.

Award Winners

Institutional Awards

  • Veteran and Active Duty Military Recognition Award: Luis Martinezreyes and Mary Addison Mitchell
  • St. John Fisher University Alumni Award: Jessica Stephanie Carone
  • John A. Murray Award in Leadership: Andrew Ryan Ortolani
  • Joseph A. Trovato, CSB, Campus Ministry Award: Celia Marion Meher

School of Arts and Sciences

  • Provost’s Award for Best Paper: Natalie Sophia Byrd
  • Honors Award for Contribution to the Academic Experience: Emily Grace Tollar
  • Marsherall Award for Academic Achievement: Alyssa Lauren Karsten and Demeter Jean Burns
  • Academic Excellence in the Athletic Performance Program Award: Claire Margaret Dearie
  • Hawkin Dynamics Sports Science Award (Athletic Performance): Makena Leilani Evans
  • Award for Excellence in Biology: Alyssa Lauren Karsten and Katarina R. Weldy
  • Award for Excellence in Biochemistry: Emma Lin Cooper
  • Joan Rowan Memorial Award (Biology): Demeter Jean Burns
  • Undergraduate Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry, Sponsored by the American Chemical Society, Rochester Section: Emma Lin Cooper
  • Award for Excellence in Natural Sciences (Chemistry): Paige Elizabeth Denman and Makena Leilani Evans
  • Award for Excellence in Criminology and Criminal Justice: Lauren Brooke Arena and Morgan Suzanne Bice
  • Award for Excellence in Economics: Oriana Carol Gelfuso
  • Clarence Amann Award (English): Laura J. Fehrman
  • Matthew Richards Prize (English): Jessica Stephanie Carone
  • Outstanding Senior Literature Capstone Paper (English): Edan Marie Yager
  • Excellence in Foreign Languages: Dylan Andres Esquivel and Joanna Gabriella Garcia-Salas
  • John A. Murray Award in History: David Gerhard Knutson
  • James S. Doyle Memorial Award for Excellence in Experiential Learning – History: Christopher James Thom
  • Zelda Lyons Award (Humanities): Brooke Elizabeth Eastman
  • Award for Excellence in Legal Studies: Jessica Stephanie Carone
  • Boris D. Rakover Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Computer Science: Laxmi Narayan Timsina
  • Mathematical and Computing Sciences Service Award: Sabrina Carmela Antonini and Angela M. Carlson
  • Award for Excellence in Film and Television Studies: Dino Begovic
  • Barbara F. Wheeler-Schneider Award: Kessan Unique VanGronigen
  • Gary “Scoop” Cuminale Award for Excellence in Media: Kydian Eve Suarez
  • James Seward Senior Award for Excellence in Media and Communication: Mallory Alexandra Schake
  • Keough Founding Editors' Award: Mallory Alexandra Schake
  • Award for Excellence in Media Management: Meghan May Gleason
  • Stefan Maczynski Award (Political Science): Isabella Grace Peracchi
  • Award for Excellence in Psychology - Academic Achievement: Natalie Sophia Byrd and Emma Grace Kuhn
  • Award for Excellence in Psychology - Academic Engagement: Emalyn Kelly Martin
  • Award for Excellence in Psychology - Commitment to Scholarly Activity: Natalie Sophia Byrd
  • Rev. John F. Murphy, CSB, Award in Religious Studies: Johanna MacKenzie Gozelski
  • Outstanding Sociology Student Award: Kessan Unique VanGronigen
  • Award for Excellence in Sport Management: Evan Joseph Smith
  • Sustainability Award: Alyssa Lauren Karsten
  • Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler Award for Women and Gender Studies Scholarship: Lejla Zornic
  • Kate Gleason Award (Women and Gender Studies Scholarship): Claire Flora Abrams

School of Business

Undergraduate Awards
  • Charles P. Wolfe Award (Accounting): Jack Ryan Gullo
  • Otto A. Shults Accounting Excellence Award: Michael Roumbos Cichon
  • Excellence in Finance: Ethan Clark Lowell
  • Award for Excellence in General Business Management Award: Payton Nicolette Alloco
  • Senior Marketing Award: Carlee James Elliott and Riley Johnson Grimm
Graduate Awards
  • Distinguished Student Award: Nathaniel Ripple
  • Scholarly Achievement Award: Cecil Ann Bana, Benjamin Longabaugh, and Maria Lin Muhlbauer

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education

Undergraduate Awards
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Educator Award – Adolescence: Brady Donnan Bishop
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Educator Award – Childhood: Emily Ann McLaughlin
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Community Service Award: Briana Wood
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Leadership Award: Jenna Rose Hoffman
  • Social Justice Award: Emily Grace Tollar
Graduate Awards

Master of Science in Library Media

  • Distinguished Library Media Award: Meghan Elizabeth Havens

Master of Science in Special Education

  • Excellence in Capstone Research Award: Kyle R. Theobald and Gabriel Joseph Traina
  • Outstanding Educator Award: Sharon Pacheco
  • Social Justice Award: Gabriel Joseph Traina

Doctorate in Executive Leadership

  • Exemplary Performance in Leadership: Michael Andrew Allen II and Jeanine Carr
  • Exemplary Performance in Scholarship: Emily Katherine Buss, Sherry Hecker Kessler, and Jeanelle Santoro
  • Exemplary Performance in Service: André James Carey Stokes, Deborah Denise Washington, and Dominique Martae Fowler

Wegmans School of Nursing

Undergraduate Awards
  • Wegmans School of Nursing Undergraduate Award for Highest Undergraduate GPA: Courtney Marie Keane and Cora Grace Blunden
  • Wegmans School of Nursing Undergraduate Award for Highest RN/BSN GPA: Kasey Marie Myers
  • Wegmans School of Nursing RN/BSN Professional Practice Award: Natalie Lynn Wright
  • Clara H. Wagner Excellence in Clinical Practice Nursing Award: Autumn Julia-Rain Kahler
  • Genesee Valley Nurses Association Student Leadership Award: Rebecca Ingel Sienkiewicz
  • Glover-Crask Simulation Center Experiential Learning Award: Jessica N. Roman and Angelica Lucia Funes
Graduate Awards

Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing

  • Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing Academic Excellence Award: Micaela Marie Gutlove, Gianna Cardazzi, Sara Marie Roman, Danielle L. Russell, Bianca Brianna Romero, Cameron St. Clair, Dillon Hunter Bickhart, Christopher Jay Iannopollo, Megan Ariana Francisco, Shannon Kathleen White, Casey Lynn Miller, Melissa Lynn Collier, Kendra J. Choinski, Sarah Madureira
  • Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing Distinguished Student Award: Colleen J. Cincotta, Abigail Rae Schroth, Loraine Marie Montañez, Ishmael Applewhite, Trisha Lynn Breen-Redmond, Catherine Mary Bertuch, Joshua Scott Bridge, Victoria Faith Griffin, Joshua Kevin Dudziak, Sarah Madureira, Barbara Innocent

Mental Health Counseling

  • Kastberg Scholarly Achievement Award: McKenna Brielle Atkinson-Snow
  • Dvorin Award for Excellence in Integrated Care: Brandon Scott Falcone
  • Bufano Counselor Excellence Award: Michael Jonathan Bedet

Doctor of Nursing Practice

  • Academic Excellence and Scholarly Achievement Award: Cindy Nguyen Ruisi
  • Clinical Practice Scholarship Award: Renata Wiktoria Liza

Wegmans School of Pharmacy

  • Dean’s Circle Awards: Belkis F. Kaplan, Callahan Rory Anderson, Emily Ann Austin, Feifei Jia, Jessica Czebatol, Kaitlin Noel Meyer, Mariah Rullan, Raeanne Pettit, Richard Patrick Mosall Jr.
  • APhA-ASP Senior Recognition Certificate: Emily Ann Austin
  • USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award: Kelly Elizabeth Jenkins
  • Merck Academic Excellence in Pharmacy Award: Jamie Nicole Wolfe and Trevor Spalding
  • Viatris Excellence in Pharmacy Award: Emily Ann Austin
  • Excellence in Experiential Education Award: Christopher Joseph Bunk, Nicole Elizabeth Henry, Kelly Elizabeth Jenkins, Natalie Marie Maines, Molly Katherine Moyer, James Riley, Trevor Spalding, and Taylor Lynn Steeprock
  • Wegmans Pharmacy Academic Excellence Award: Emily Ann Austin and Richard Patrick Mosall Jr.