Class of 2026 Honored with Academic, Campus Life Awards

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

• Joseph A. Trovato, CSB, Campus Ministry Award: Starlet Beeanca Bejado Luzama
• Rev. Paul F. English Campus Ministry Leadership Award: Vincenzo Antonio Perfetti
• St. Cecilia Campus Ministry Music Award: Lillian Leigh Gottstine

School of Arts and Sciences

• Provost’s Award for Best Paper: Mary Ella Marrapese
• Honors Award for Contribution to the Academic Experience: Emma Jeanne Muchow\
• Marsherall Award for Academic Achievement: Marissa Catherine Terech
• Academic Excellence in the Athletic Performance Program Award: Bryant Markus DePaull
• Hawkin Dynamics Sports Science Award (Athletic Performance): Sydney Dardenne Bailey
• Award for Excellence in Biology: Kirsten Rebecca Webster and Nathaniel WenDell Brown
• Award for Excellence in Biochemistry: Isabella Grace Getter
• Joan Rowan Memorial Award (Biology): Lillian Leigh Gottstine and Ocean Odyssey Brown
• Undergraduate Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry, Sponsored by the American Chemical Society, Rochester Section: Brett Donald Seaman
• Award for Excellence in Natural Sciences (Chemistry): Conner Thomas Walker
• Award for Excellence in Criminology and Criminal Justice: Jessica Pam DiFilippo and Riley Allan Chappell
• Award for Excellence in Economics: Brian Frederick Lester, Mary Ella Marrapese, Ryan Arthur Campbell
• Clarence Amann Award (English): Hanaan Mahamud Bakari
• Matthew Richards Prize (English): Miranda Roseann Merzacco
• Outstanding Senior Literature Capstone Paper (English): Carissa Lynn Stachurski
• Excellence in Foreign Languages: Marissa Catherine Terech
• John A. Murray Award in History: Logan Mary-Belle Crowell and Mary Ella Marrapese
• Zelda Lyons Award (Humanities): Margaret Jeanne Nawojski
• Award for Excellence in Legal Studies: Madeleine Murphy Lowney
• Boris D. Rakover Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Computer Science: Aidan W. Kotsch, Jett Taiga Kopalek, and Peyton Kenneth Newton
• Award for Excellence in Film and Television Studies: Dominique Netanya Cheyenne Lawrence
• Barbara F. Wheeler-Schneider Award: Kadence Susan Cohen
• Gary “Scoop” Cuminale Award for Excellence in Media: Jacob Rodriguez
• James Seward Senior Award for Excellence in Media and Communication: Madelyn Wania
• Award for Excellence in Media Management: Erin Sullivan Zornow
• Stefan Maczynski Award (Political Science): Ryan Arthur Campbell
• Award for Excellence in Psychology - Academic Achievement: Grace Ann Sweeney
• Award for Excellence in Psychology - Academic Engagement: Sophia Carmen McCabe
• Award for Excellence in Psychology - Commitment to Scholarly Activity: Trinity Mary Rose Kenney
• Outstanding Sociology Student Award: Tina Beslic
• Citizen Scholar Award in Sociology: Rosamond Bethany Stoffel
• Award for Excellence in American Studies: Madyson Lyn Marsh
• Award for Excellence in Sport Management: Jared Bruce Tucker
• Sustainability Award: Lilyan Grace Humphrey and Madeleine Murphy Lowney
• Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler Award for Women and Gender Studies Scholarship: Kaili Alaina Garcia
• Kate Gleason Award (Women and Gender Studies Scholarship): Shawnique D. Hagan
• Dr. David Kuebel Adjunct Teaching Award: Rashid Muhammed

School of Business

Undergraduate Awards

• Charles P. Wolfe Award (Accounting): Hanna Elizabeth Rademacher and Kaley Michele Griffin
• Otto A. Shults Accounting Excellence Award: Zachary John Coxford
• Excellence in Finance: Nathan Andrew Saur
• Award for Excellence in General Business Management Award: Matthew Eric Clair
• Senior Marketing Award: Paige Sailor Lasher

Graduate Awards

• Distinguished Student Award: Abby Paxton and Bryan Martin Mahoney
• Scholarly Achievement Award: Emily Lynn Schloop, Hailey Henchen, Jack Anthony Marlowe, Jeanne Dolinar Lomison, Juan Carlos Cristian Saffie Robertson, Mallory Anne Pillsbury,  and Nicole Kathryn Edinger
• Master of Business Administration Impact Award: Danielle Jean Valerino

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education

Undergraduate Awards

• Outstanding Undergraduate Educator Award – Adolescence: Brooke Marie Westfall and Nicholas Gordon Augeri
• Outstanding Undergraduate Educator Award – Childhood: Andrew Micheal Beyler
• Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Community Service Award: Marissa Catherine Terech
• Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Leadership Award: Nicole Theresa LaBatt
• Social Justice Award: Madyson Lyn Marsh

Graduate Awards

Master of Science in Library Media

• Distinguished Library Media Award: Nicole Courtney Rudd and Cheryl Lynn Rizzo

Master of Science in Special Education

• Excellence in Capstone Research Award: Matthew J. Poehlmann
• Faculty Award: Makenzie Hufnagle

Doctorate in Executive Leadership

• Exemplary Performance in Leadership: Loretha J. McCullough and Xavier Earl Edwards
• Exemplary Performance in Scholarship: Katrina Julia Wojciechowski, Shantalee Pryce, Christopher Jay Means, and Shamira Pongnon-Gambrell
• Exemplary Performance in Service: Lydia Williams and Denise Elaine Bolds
• Dr. Ronald Edmonds Award of Excellence: Raina Michelle Bouphavong
• Distinguished Educational Leadership Award: Michael Anthony Moroni

Wegmans School of Nursing

Undergraduate Awards

• Wegmans School of Nursing Undergraduate Award for Highest Undergraduate GPA: Sydney Francis Wilson and Jennifer E. Meyers
• Wegmans School of Nursing Undergraduate Award for Highest RN/BSN GPA: Elizabeth Ann Laurro
• Wegmans School of Nursing RN/BSN Professional Practice Award: Elizabeth Ann Laurro
• Clara H. Wagner Excellence in Clinical Practice Nursing Award: Brynn Susan Calvert and Stephen Thomas Zawodzinski
• Genesee Valley Nurses Association Student Leadership Award: Eriel J’kai  Young
• Glover-Crask Simulation Center Experiential Learning Award: Francesca Angeline DiFlorio and Sydney Minier

Graduate Awards

Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing

• Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing Academic Excellence Award: Alexis Pirraglia, David Thomas Jobczynski, Eleanore Augusta Nelson, Gabriela E. Tomaszczuk, Grace Belle Guh, Jennifer Alayne James, Julia Shire, Lindsay Christina  Scott, Nicole Ilardo, Tayler Morgan Girardi, Carrie Ann Doyle, Irina Spirina, Kaitlyn Butka, Sarah Kate Sandor, Sookjin Park, and Taylor Marie LaValley
• Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing Distinguished Student Award: Aaron James Cole, Alexandra Marie Vadas, Anne Jenna Swearingen, Chad Williams, Cheron Denitra Francis, Connor R. Cottrell, Jillian Renee Barry, Mitchell Paul Colvin, Van Harold Paloma, Ehren Danielle Strohm, John Griffin, Peter Li, and Katie A. Klos
• Wegmans School of Nursing Graduate Simulation Award: Anne Jenna Swearingen, Jennifer Alayne James, John Griffin, Katie A. Klos, and Sarah Buckley

Mental Health Counseling

• Kastberg Scholarly Achievement Award: Claire Elizabeth Marino
• Dvorin Award for Excellence in Integrated Care: Dvorin Award for Excellence in Integrated Care: Hannah Marie Bardeen
• Bufano Counselor Excellence Award: Luka Camille Hakkila

Doctor of Nursing Practice

• Academic Excellence and Scholarly Achievement Award: Mary Dalgi Nowak
• Clinical Practice Scholarship Award: Alexandra Marie Vadas

Wegmans School of Pharmacy

• Dean’s Circle Awards: Aliaksandra Hare, Chelsea Marie Thames, Laura Helen Witt, Megan Elizabeth Gearinger, Michael Allen Currier, Samuel Dae DeWitt, and Tanner Keith Orfanides
• APhA-ASP Senior Recognition Certificate: Michael Allen Currier
• USPHS Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award: Corey James Plakosh
• Merck Academic Excellence in Pharmacy Award: Kathryn Mary Pazderski and Scott Mass
• Viatris Excellence in Pharmacy Award: Michael Allen Currier
• Excellence in Experiential Education Award: Cierra Alice Patrick, Corey James Plakosh, Jeffrey Douglas Cullen, Julia Blevins, Kathryn Mary Pazderski, Laura Helen Witt, Michael Allen Currier, and Scott Mass
• Wegmans Pharmacy Academic Excellence Award: Aliaksandra Hare, Laura Helen Witt, Michael Allen Currier, and Tanner Keith Orfanides
• The Pharmacists Society of the State of New York Award: Corey James Plakosh
• Jack Brown Clinical Research Award: Laura Helen Witt