It takes at least 12 years to graduate from high school and then four years to earn your Bachelor’s degree; for 15 seniors, to receive the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges 2015 Award, at the end of their college experience is a dream come true.
“It’s a crazy thing sometimes to look back on how I was then and how I am now,” Alexa Milano, communication major and marketing minor, said. “I feel like college is such a transformative experience and you don’t really realize that until the end.”
15 Cabrini College seniors including: Alycia Bennett, Andrea Broe, Nicholas Cipollone, Megan Decker, Jennarose DiGiacomo, Kaitlyn Donnelly, Lauren Hight, Danielle Kane, Christian Keeney, Heather LaPergola, Mario Marino, Jillian Megna, Alexa Milano, Madison Milano, Dana Millio, were all announced the Who’s Who Among Students recipients, via email on March 9 by Carmel-Jo Madonna, Assistant to the VP of Student Life and Dean of Students.
“At Cabrini College, the Who’s Who Award is given to those seniors whose accomplishments and contributions reflect the College’s commitment to scholarship, leadership and service,” according to the email Madonna sent. “To qualify for recognition, a student must demonstrate excellence in each of these three areas and be recommended to the Selection Committee by a member of the faculty or administrative staff.”
What really does it mean to be a Who’s Who award recipient though?
The Who’s Who Among Students Award is given to more than 1,000 students in all 50 states and “marks a pinnacle of scholastic achievement,” according to Whoswhoamongstudents.com.
“I remember getting the email that has the Who’s Who seniors on it that goes out to everyone when I was a sophomore and since I received that email I knew I wanted to be on that list my senior year,” Alexa Milano said. “It just feels really nice and it makes me feel proud of everything I’ve done over the past four years.”
When Dana Millio, English major and human resource management and leadership minor as well as fellow award recipient, was asked to describe her experience over the past four years at Cabrini she replied with, “Summa Cum Laude,” which is translated from Latin as, with the highest distinction.
Like Millio, fellow recipient Christian Keeney reflected on his time at Cabrini. Keeney, a U.S. History and American Studies major, political science and English minor, will be graduating in three weeks, but feels exceptionally prepared for the rest of his life.
“Not only have the classrooms and studies at Cabrini been beneficial to me, but the relationships I made with my friends, faculty, and staff of Cabrini,” Keeney said. “Cabrini has given me the tools to take that next step in getting to me occupational goals.”
Mario Marino, finance, international business and accounting major, has been working this entire year on two initiatives, which he believes will have a “lasting impact on the college.”
“The first is an opportunity to allow education majors (who are often unable to study abroad) to teach abroad in New Zealand for six weeks of their practical student teaching,” Marino said. “Finally, the item I hope will be my greatest legacy at Cabrini College [is] a proposal asking the college to position itself to target foster children throughout our area as future Cabrini students.”
According to Marino, the proposal: Scholarship Initiative for Extraordinary Foster Youth at Cabrini College, “would allow any student who was in care on or after their 13th birthday, access to four years of year round housing on Cabrini’s campus at no cost.”
All 15 students will be given their awards and certifications during the commencement weekend.
“Getting the Who’s Who award is such an honor to me. It has really made me feel that everything I’ve done here has actually mattered and been noticed and appreciated,” Heather LaPergola, communication major and psychology minor, said. “It only cements my notion that I was meant to come here even more, and that I was able to do all of these amazing things because Cabrini was there with me every step of the way.”
