Scholars 2015

2015 SoLII Scholarship Recipient Profiles

Spring 2015 Recipients

Jacklyn Marullo – Ammerman Campus

St. Joseph's College - Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology
While at Suffolk County Community College, Jacklyn served as Vice President of the Italian Club and was involved with the Honors Program and PTK. She is now a member of the Criminal Justice Club at St. Joseph's, and has been active in the Raise the Age movement. Her future plans include attending a graduate program in Forensic Counseling and beginning a career centered around helping people with substance abuse issues.

Fall 2015 Recipients

	Yvette Adams – Michael J. Grant Campus Stony Brook University - Business Management Yvette successfully balanced her roles as a full–time employee, mother, and evening college student. She dreams of starting a non–profit organization that will help teenaged girls and single mothers through a variety of support systems. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "Don't count yourself out. I thought I wouldn't be eligible because I was a little older than other students."

	Courtney Bocchieri – Michael J. Grant Campus St. Joseph's College - Psychology At Suffolk County Community College, Courtney played on the Women's Volleyball team. She also participated in fundraising for breast cancer research through their Dig Pink and Play For the Fight Against Cancer events. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "I am very honored to have received this scholarship. It has validated all of my hard work in my academic and extracurricular activities."

	Alison Brown – Ammerman Campus St. Joseph's College - Child Study Allison has known that she wanted to work with children since she was in 7th grade. Children's creativity and resilience inspire Allison to support these values in generations of preschool students throughout her career. How has winning a SoLII Scholarship affected you? "It proves that nothing at college stands alone. Every grade, every activity, every experience intertwine to create a whole student here at Suffolk."

	Ana Rubi Catalan – Eastern Campus LIU Post - Business with a Concentration in Marketing Rubi is a hard–working and ambitious young woman who loves working with people. At Suffolk County Community College, she was the co–founder and Vice President of Dream, Love, Hope – a service group that works to help those in need. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "Believe in yourself! If you really want something, you can achieve it. Give the best you have and it will pay off."

	Veronica Chumbi – Eastern Campus Five Towns College - Music Performance with a Concentration in Audio Engineering Veronica is a singer–songwriter who began performing around Long Island at an early age. At Suffolk County Community College, she was involved with several student organizations including the Music Club and the Association of Latin American Students. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "Believe in yourself. So many people don't apply because they think they won't win. Be positive!"

	Daniel Dellapina – Ammerman Campus LIU Post - Accounting Daniel relied heavily on his time–management skills as he balanced full–time employment with the requirements of his courses and membership in both Alpha Beta Gamma and Phi Theta Kappa. Additionally, Daniel also dedicated himself to helping other students in study groups. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "If you work hard and get involved, you can achieve this too."

	Sanjib Dey – Michael J. Grant Campus LIU Brentwood - Nursing From the time of his childhood, Sanjib was inspired by the care that nurses provided and he has dedicated his studies to following in their footsteps. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "Definitely attend the workshops! If you attend the workshops, you'll know what you need and how you should apply." Where is he now? Sanjib balanced the rigors of his nursing curriculum with a full–time job and family obligations. He graduated from LIU Brentwood with his BSN in May 2017, and immediately began working toward his M.S. in Family Nurse Practitioner at Stony Brook University.

	Evelyn Diessler – Eastern Campus LIU Riverhead - Early Childhood Education Evelyn has a passion for teaching young children that stems from her own experience with her 3rd grade teacher, Mr. Arnone. She has been active with Suffolk County Community College's Early Childhood Education Club, where she has consistently been part of their Friday Family Fun Flicks program. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "It made me realize that anything I work hard for, I can accomplish."

	Branna DiPaolo – Michael J. Grant Campus St. Joseph's College - Speech Pathology and Psychology At Suffolk County Community College, Brianna was a Peer Mentor who enjoyed the opportunity to help new students through classroom presentations and campus tours. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "It gave me the confidence to attend my next school with an open mind and ready to learn."

	Jessica Gutierrez – Eastern Campus Adelphi University - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Jessica served as Secretary of Suffolk County Community College's Association of Latin American Students before becoming President the following year. Off campus, Jessica participated in an indoor women's soccer league and volunteered for the YMCA in East Hampton. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "It has inspired me to keep pushing to get an education and a degree. This is a pathway to success, which was not handed to me but earned through hard work." Where is she now? Jessica received her B.S. in Exercise Science in May 2017 and is now in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at Stony Brook University. She became a Peer Assistant Leader at Adelphi and served as a board member for the newly–formed DACA Task Force, all while completing three physical therapy internships. She was also a member of the Tau Sigma Transfer Honor Society, CSTEP, Latino Student Association, and women's club soccer team.

	Marissa Klassert – Ammerman Campus SUNY College at Old Westbury - Childhood Education At the suggestion of one of her high school teachers, Marissa enrolled in an education class. Her experience there as well as teaching a 2nd grade religion class solidified her career path. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "It let me reflect on all that I have done. It fills me with pride. It inspires me to try to find new things to get involved with."

	Victoria Lohwasser – Michael J. Grant Campus St. John's University - Public Relations Victoria plans to combine her love of writing, designing, and communicating into a career in public relations. While at Suffolk County Community College, she was the Editor–in–Chief of the Western Student Press. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "Get involved around campus because you will have experiences that will affect you positively and make you an even better candidate."

	Megan Meyer – Eastern Campus Molloy College - Speech Pathology and Audiology Megan is passionate about helping others. She plans to use her education to help children with speech impediments, adults who have hearing and speaking disorders, or recipients of cochlear implants. While at Suffolk County Community College, Megan enhanced the hard work she put into her American Sign Language classes by attending events in the Deaf community.

	Loic Moussoh – Ammerman Campus Briarcliffe College - Finance Originally from Côte d'Ivoire, Loic chose to work toward a degree in Finance because of his love for math and economics. While at Suffolk County Community College, he volunteered at the Suffolk Center on the Holocaust, Diversity and Human Understanding (CHDHU). What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "Grades are not enough. Be different and know how to write your story."

	Sarah Nangeroni – Michael J. Grant Campus LIU Post - Art Therapy Sarah chose the field of Art Therapy based on her own life–changing experience with art, and was inspired by the teachings of several Suffolk County Community College faculty members. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "Be honest and open in your essays. Let them get to know the real you through sharing meaningful relevant experiences. Don't try to sell yourself or create shopping lists of your accomplishments. Be genuine and speak from your heart."

	Mary Katherine O'Connell – Ammerman Campus St. Joseph's College - Criminal Justice Mary Katherine is fascinated by the criminal justice process and enjoys going to court with her father, who is a lawyer. While at Suffolk County Community College, Mary Katherine was a member of the Women's Basketball team and Phi Theta Kappa. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "It has given me even more motivation to continue academically, and to pursue my dreams and goals to the fullest."

	Thomas Pirrone – Michael J. Grant Campus Farmingdale State College - Business Thomas has the raw ingredients of a successful businessman: an entrepreneurial spirit, willingness to work hard, and the drive to succeed. He looks forward to learning more about the business field so that he can run his own company one day. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "It has shown me that hard work does pay off and gave me confidence. Great things happen when you work hard."

	Carissa Shevlin – Ammerman Campus St. Joseph's College - Child Study Carissa has always dreamed of becoming an educator of young children. While at Suffolk County Community College, she spent two semesters working as a student teacher to learn about education and build relationships in the field. How has winning a SoLII scholarship affected you? "Winning this scholarship really boosted my confidence and helped me realize I am capable of so much more than I thought."

	Cahide Temel – Eastern Campus St. Joseph's College - Business Administration Building on her previous university experience in Turkey, Cahide enrolled at Suffolk County Community College to pursue her dreams. While here, she earned her membership in Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma honor societies. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "This is a lifetime opportunity. I highly recommend that anyone with a high GPA apply for this scholarship."

	Celesse Vazquez – Eastern Campus Stony Brook University - Biology Celesse is inspired by new medical advancements and how they can help people. At Suffolk County Community College, she participated in Women in STEM and will continue diligently working toward a career in Optometry at Stony Brook University. What advice would you give to future SoLII applicants? "I don't believe in luck... 'plan your work and work your plan' because everything is earned; nothing is given."

	Tricia Wildman – Michael J. Grant Campus Hofstra University - Psychology Tricia accredits her success to working hard and building relationships. This is most evident in her role as co–founder of Suffolk County Community College's Tri–Campus Spirit Week, where she brought the college community together to celebrate all that Suffolk County Community College has to offer. Tricia also served as Vice President of Scholarship for Phi Theta Kappa, Senator of the Student Engagement Committee, and a member of the Orientation Planning Committee.

	Samuel Zang – Ammerman Campus Briarcliffe College - Criminal Justice Samuel's interest in law enforcement during his first semester of college led him to join the Sixth Suffolk County Police Explorer's Post, where he learned more about law enforcement and participated in community service projects. As he continued his course work at Suffolk County Community College, Samuel's dedication to the field has increased.