SUNY New Paltz honors outstanding grads

SUNY New Paltz honored 105 students with Outstanding Graduate Awards at a ceremony on Friday, May 16, in the Multi-Purpose Room.

Both undergraduate and graduate students representing all five of New Paltz’s schools – the School of Business, School of Education, School of Fine and Performing Arts, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the School of Science and Engineering – were honored with certificates celebrating their exceptional academic achievements. The awards not only acknowledge the students’ stellar grades, but the opportunities they seized outside of the classroom, as well.

“We are especially proud of you here today,” said President Donald Christian. “You are being recognized by your faculty for success in the classroom, laboratory, performance hall, studio, athletics fields, the campus and local community, and through study abroad programs around the world.”

The awards were announced and distributed by Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Philip Mauceri, who also recognized this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian, Arielle Rubinstein and Kaitlin Camporese, respectively.

Faculty members in attendance beamed with pride as their students walked off the stage with their awards, taking pictures and wishing heartfelt congratulations.

“While your professors have inspired you, many of you in turn have inspired them with your creativity and energy, and your fresh insights into enduring and contemporary problems,” said Christian.

Christian also had some statistics to share with the students, many of whom were accompanied by their parents for the event.

“More than one third of you will leave here with no loan debt, and those of you who do will owe less than the national average,” said Christian. “Those of you with federal loans will default on them at a rate well below the national average – suggesting that you will have found meaningful employment.”

The students were encouraged to stay engaged with the campus after graduation, and were informed of their automatic membership in the SUNY New Paltz Alumni Association.

“We want you to stay in touch with your alma mater,” said Christian. “Let us know how you are doing in your lives and we will also keep you posted on the latest at your college.”