2015 Skookum Award

Winners

Jessica BarnetDoctor of Pharmacy Candidate

Jessica Barnet is a second year Doctor of Pharmacy and is one of only 25 students in the College of Pharmacy who is enrolled in the dual PharmD/MBA program. Her commitment to academics has earned her a 4.0 GPA, as well as being named to the President’s and Dean’s Lists for the last three years. Jessica is also a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society.

Jessica is currently the President of the Western New England Dance Team and is responsible for hosting the annual spring recital. Half of the proceeds from this event are donated to charity. In the upcoming year she plans to host a fall showcase during which the team will collect canned goods for local food pantries for Thanksgiving. In addition to leading the Dance Team, Jessica is the Sub-Directorum of the Delta Tau chapter of the Alpha Zeta Omega Pharmaceutical Fraternity and is a member of many other professional pharmacy organizations.

Outside the classroom, Jessica spends a significant amount of time working and volunteering. Recently, she recently began interning at Holyoke Medical Center, in addition to her current rotation at Clinton Hospital. Jessica has also worked with the Kmart Pharmacy gaining experience in a community pharmacy. Additionally, she volunteers as a research assistant in the pharmacy lab for Dr. Shannon Kinney. The research entails studying the methylation and hyper methylation of human prostate cancer cells, as well as observing treatment with various drugs.

In May 2014 Jessica had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala with her Global Health and Technology class for two weeks to assess broken hospital equipment in the hopes of repairing or replacing it. The trip was a life changing experience that opened her eyes to the poverty and poor healthcare in developing countries. From power outages to the lack of resources, the conditions were shocking. This experience has given Jessica a new appreciation for our healthcare system and motivated her to travel to other developing countries as a volunteer.

After graduating, Jessica plans to specialize in clinical oncology. She looks forward to working with a large team of healthcare professionals, including doctors, radiologists, nurses, and technicians to collaborate and improve oncology treatment and strive for a cure.

Julie CokotisBachelor of Science – Finance

Julie Cokotis is a senior majoring in Finance with a minor in Management and Leadership. Growing up in East Longmeadow, MA, Julie has been an active member of her community. She is dedicated to the Rays of Hope Walk and Relay for Life; both are events that raise money for cancer research. Since 2006, she has helped with fundraising and organizing teams.

Julie has a love for finance. During her portfolio management course, which requires Bloomberg Certification, she gained experience trading live stocks on Wall Street in addition to pitching stocks on a weekly basis. The class managed a portfolio of $100,000 and maintained a profit after a semester of riding the market. The money earned by the class will be used by the class this year for trading.

Since her freshman year, Julie has been involved with various student organizations. She was an Orientation Group Leader and served as an ambassador for the College of Business as a Cohen Scholar. Julie studied for a semester in London through the College of Business Sophomore Experience Abroad program. During her last year on campus she plans to leave her mark at the University through her continued involvement in the First Year Office and Student Senate.

This past summer Julie had an internship with MGM Grand Resorts International in Las Vegas, NV, where she worked in client services overseeing the financial month end close for three MGM properties. In addition to her responsibilities with company financials, she was fortunate to attend weekly meetings with the property CFOs. While in Las Vegas, Julie led a company-wide, weeklong fundraiser, raising over $8,000 for MGM Resorts Foundation, which supports the local Ronald McDonald House. She also spent time volunteering at The Animal Foundation and Spread the Word Nevada, helping with animal adoptions and organizing books to send to children within Nevada's at-risk, low-income communities.

After graduation, Julie is pleased that she will return to Las Vegas to work for MGM in a year-long rotation program that exposes her to various finance positions in all of MGM’s properties.

Alexandria DeanBachelor of Science – Arts and Entertainment Management

Alexandria Dean, hails from Lewiston, ME. She maintains a 3.58 GPA, is majoring in Arts and Entertainment Management, and will complete her SAP certification. This major suits her perfectly, since her true passion is in event planning and she comes from an entertainment background, having spent more than 15 years of her life as a dancer.

Alex hones her event planning skills each semester as the host of Campus Activities Board events she plans. Since the second semester of her freshmen year, Alexandria has been on the Executive Board for the CAB. She has chaired the Spirit and Homecoming Committee as well as the Diversity and Alternative Entertainment Committee, and is currently Late Night chair. Last spring Alex chaired the Spring Event Hospitality Committee, which brought comedian Gabriel Iglesias to campus.

Aside from event planning, Alex is devoted to the United and Mutually Equal club, serving as the Historian last year. She has also become a mentor with the Connections Mentoring Program that is run through the Office of Diversity. This program was developed to support and guide international, first-generation, and under-represented students in areas such as academics, personal development, and social development.

When not planning CAB events or mentoring underclassman, Alex can typically be found in the First Year Office dedicating herself to helping students transition from high school to college, frequently assisting at open houses, and staffing the front desk. She has served as an Orientation Group leader and currently serving as a mentor.

Upon completion of her Bachelor’s degree, Alex hopes to find full time employment with a multipurpose facility working in venue and operations management.

Melissa EmmonsBachelor of Science – Electrical Engineering

Melissa Emmons is an Electrical Engineering major from Holliston, MA. Her academic achievement has earned her a 3.71 GPA, which garnered her a spot on both the President’s and Dean’s lists. Melissa is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta First Year Honor Society and the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society.

During her time at Western New England she has undertaken various leadership roles. As an Executive Board member of the CAB, Melissa has served as the Traditions and Travel Chairperson, planning events including Spring Week and Freak Week, as well as off campus trips.

This year, as the president of the Society of Women Engineers, Melissa’s goal is to build a community in which members can develop their professional network encouraging relationship building across class years and majors. She is one of the few females in electrical engineering, so the school’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers has played a key role in Melissa’s growth.

As an Admissions Office Student Ambassador, Melissa helps to foster the growth of the Western New England University community. Melissa feels strongly about the impact the Accepted Students Day Visit Program can have in the college decision process. Her experience as a high school senior with the program affirmed her decision to attend the University, and she has now volunteered for the program for the last three years as a student host.

Over this past summer, Melissa was an intern in the Substation Engineering and Design Department for National Grid. This opportunity allowed Melissa to explore a career in the power industry as she visited substations across New England providing a new understanding of the equipment and the role substations play in power distribution. Melissa was substation technical lead on a replacement project, and it was an invaluable experience for her.

After graduation, she plans to pursue her Master’s degree in electrical engineering and obtain full time employment in the power or radio frequencies industry. What she really hopes is that she can squeeze in a trip to visit New Zealand or Europe before taking on the next phase of her life.

Melissa FerrisBachelor of Arts – Psychology

Melissa Ferris is a Psychology major from Marlborough, MA. Her academic achievements have earned her a 3.6 GPA. She is also a member of several honor societies, including Mortar Board, Psi Chi, National Residence Hall Honorary, and Alpha Lambda Delta. She is a movie buff and Netflix addict, but nonetheless she has found the time to be such a successful student leader.

As an Orientation Group Leader, Melissa worked with 12 other student leaders to organize Summer Orientation and Registration for the Class of 2018. This experience ignited her passion for working with the first year students and prompted her to become a First Year Seminar Assistant. She continues to work in the Office of First Year Students assisting with open houses.

Melissa is dedicated to the Office of Residence Life as a Resident Advisor. Being a Resident Advisor is something that Melissa is enthusiastic about as she loves nothing more than helping her residents. As a three-year member of the Executive Board of Residence Hall Association, she will spend her senior year as RHA President. A member of E-Board, Melissa cherishes the opportunity it gives her to be a Hall Buddy for freshmen and to serve as a reliable resource for them throughout the year.

Melissa is furthering her experience this semester as the Housing Operations Intern in the Office of Residence Life. Here she assists with safety inspections across campus housing as well as with the gender neutral housing program. Melissa hopes her internship will help propel her into graduate assistantship as she pursues a Master’s Degree in higher education after graduation. Ultimately, Melissa would like to find herself working with first year students.

Hailey GreenhalghBachelor of Arts –Political Science

Hailey Greenhalgh is a Political Science major with a minor in International Studies from Taunton, MA. Her commitment to academics has earned her a 3.60 GPA as well as recognition on the Dean’s List. She is also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society.

Hailey enjoys working with first year students in their transition from high school to college. She is a second year Peer Advisor and has provided guidance to over 50 incoming freshmen students. Hailey is also a First Year Seminar Assistant for Political Science and Law and Society majors. Additionally, she spent this past summer as an Orientation Group Leader.

As President of the Gender/Sexuality Alliance group, Hailey has set lofty goals for the group. GSA focuses on LGBTQ diversity, creating a safe community within the University, and promoting awareness and education on issues impacting the campus community. This is done through events on campus, as well as promoting consciousness of different genders and sexual identities. Under Hailey’s leadership GSA hopes to shed more light on Transgender issues. Based on the popularity of last year’s Drag Show, GSA will host an even bigger and better show this year.

Another passion of Hailey’s is community service. Whether she spends her Fall Break immersed in the Springfield community or Spring Break in different parts of the country to combat injustice, she has always enjoyed volunteering, because every little bit helps. Hailey’s states, “I view community service as something that is necessary of college students. It contributes to a fundamental understanding of the community we live in for very influential years of our lives.”

Hailey has been active in Class Council since her freshmen year and is serving her second year as Secretary. Class Council is responsible for hosting programs that engage the entire campus community and fosters unity among the members of the Class of 2016.

To round out her college career, Hailey has recently completed an internship with Senator Eric Lesser on his successful campaign for State Senate. After graduation, she plans to pursue her Political Science PhD with a focus on International Relations.

Matthew LaCoilleBachelor of Science – Sport Management

Matthew LaCoille of Ludlow, MA, is pursuing a degree in Sport Management with a minor in Athletic Coaching and Administration, as well as a certificate in SAP. Matt is one of three students in his class to be named a Cohen Scholar in the College of Business. He was selected based on his strong academic standing and many extracurricular activities. He is also consistently recognized on both the Dean’s and President’s Lists, as well as a being member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and a recipient of the Kevin S. Delbridge Endowed Scholarship. Matt is extremely active on campus through his involvement with the Sport Management Association as well as the Football team, serving as the Video Coordinator and the Student Assistant.

This past summer, Matt was an Operations and Management Intern for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. Matt was one of eight interns chosen from a pool of over 1,200 candidates and was instrumental in the operations of the team’s offseason programs, including youth camps and offseason training. He had this to say about his experience: “It was a life-changing summer moving forward in my career. I worked with interns from all over the United States, and in addition to learning about the industry inside and out, I networked with managers, coaches, and players from the 76ers organization."

Growing up an active sports fan, Matt has always been interested in the operational aspects of athletics and how the business side of sport works. This love of sports stems from his true passion for the New England sports teams. Matt also enjoys a range of music styles including rock, punk rock, and rap, and has attended over 50 concerts.

Post graduation, Matt plans to complete his Master’s degree in Sport Management at Western New England University. He hopes to gain a full-time position with a professional sports organization. Matt’s ultimate dream job is to be a Director of Operations, or in a perfect world, President of a professional sports organization.

Andres OteroBachelor of Engineering – Civil Engineering

Andres Otero was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, traveling to the United States to attend Western New England University. He is a Civil Engineering major with a 3.2 GPA and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.

He spent the past two summers in Washington, DC interning at Innovo Construction and James G. Davis Construction. At Innovo, Andres was the sole intern and worked on several projects, including City Center and the Ronald Reagan Airport Terminal. Through Davis, he worked on larger scale projects including U-Line Arena and Under Armour headquarters.

Andres has been a member of the College of Engineering Dean’s Student Advisory Board for four years. As a member of the board he represents fellow Civil Engineering students voicing their concerns and suggestions for improvement.

He is a member of both of the University’s Solar Decathlon teams. These competitions require the design and construction of a house that operates entirely on solar energy. The first competition will take place in California and spans four weeks. Andres’ Solar Decathlon Latin America team will compete in Columbia later this year. This competition pairs Western New England with a university in Panama for joint design and construction.

Andres has been a member of the Men’s Tennis team since his freshman year. He is currently team Captain and has received several awards, including being named MVP twice, the Coaches Award, the Dean DiRuzza Leadership Award, All Conference recognition, as well as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar Athlete Award. Andres has been a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee for four years and is now a member of the Executive Board.

Andres is co-founder of the International Club, having served as President and Treasurer. He also works as a caller for the student phonathon, raising funds in support of the University.

Post graduation, Andres is considering a return to his position at Davis Construction in Washington, DC, but he is also exploring other options. Regardless of where he finds himself employed, Andres plans to stay in the US and eventually return to graduate school.

Gretchen PancakBachelor of Science – Marketing, Communications/ Advertising

Gretchen Pancak, from Stratford, CT, is a Marketing, Communications and Advertising major with a passion for all things related to advertising. She has been an active member of the Marketing Association, currently serving as the Director of Public Relations. For the last four years Gretchen has also been Student Supervisor for the Office of Campus Events.

This past summer, Gretchen interned for Complex Media’s Advertising Sales and Marketing Department in New York City. During her internship she worked closely with the advertising sales and promotions team on projects including marketing research, marketing sales analytics, and special event marketing. Her experience ignited a renewed interest in advertising sales. She plans to return to Complex Media over winter break to continue her internship.

Outside of Gretchen’s academic engagements, she has taken on various leadership positions on campus. Freshman year she joined the Residence Hall Association as the Franklin Hall President. Gretchen continued her commitment to Residence Life with a position on the RHA Executive Board as the Publicity Chair as well as the Community Service Chair on the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). She continued to be a dedicated participant in NRHH, becoming President and working with the Executive Board to uphold the pillars and values of the organization. During her sophomore year Gretchen became a Resident Advisor, and during her three years as an RA has worked with a variety populations on campus. During her junior year, Gretchen worked on the Learning Interest Community Committee to create a Faculty Fellows program that connects faculty and student groups.

Through Residence Life, Gretchen found that she truly enjoys assisting first year students, so she expanded her activities and became an Orientation Group Leader for the Class of 2017. This is one of her most memorable experiences.

Upon graduation, Gretchen hopes to continue her education by attaining a Master’s in Communication with a Concentration in Public Relations.

Timothy RapszynskiBachelor of Science – Electrical Engineering

Timothy Rapczynski is an Electrical Engineering major with a concentration in Green Engineering and a minor in Sustainability. His academic achievement has earned him a 3.89 GPA as well as maintaining a position on the President’s List every semester. Tim is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and Omicron Kappa Delta Leadership Honor Society.

Tim has been involved with various organizations on campus. He is currently the President of the Outing Club, which plans to organize several trips, including hiking, rock climbing, and skiing this school year. Tim is also the co-founder of the Divest Western New England Committee, whose goal is to work with the University Board of Trustees to stop University investments in the fossil fuel industry and to refocus those allocations to more sustainable companies.

Tim has volunteered with the Hugh O’Brain Youth Leadership for the past five years. HOBY is a seminar for high school sophomores to help them discover their own unique leadership characteristics through teamwork, personal reflections, and stepping out of one’s comfort zones. He has held several different positions at HOBY; he is currently the senior facilitator.

Over this past summer, Tim conducted an internship with Green Mountain Power in Vermont, where he assisted in developing a Solar Mapping Project. The goal is to create many small electrical grids rather than one massive grid. Tim plans to work within the power industry to help further develop the renewable energy infrastructure. He will be happy as long as he is helping local communities obtain efficient and cost-effective clean energy.

After graduation, he plans to spend some time on a through-hike of the Long Trail, totaling 270 miles from the VT/MA border to the VT/Canada border.

Troy SandersBachelor of Science – Chemistry

Troy Sanders is a senior Chemistry major with a minor in Biology from Wilbraham, MA. His academic achievements have earned him a 3.78 GPA and recognition on the Dean’s and President’s Lists and membership in the Alpha Lambda Delta and Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership honor societies.

Troy has had a prominent presence on Western New England University’s campus since being enrolled. He has been a part of the Student Government as Treasurer for the Class of 2016 as well as having been the sophomore and junior representative for Student Senate.

Troy has been active in Alternative Spring Break since his freshmen year. His first trip as a freshman was to Pulaski, VA and for Troy it was a life-changing experience. There he and fellow students worked alongside the service organization Beans and Rice doing tornado recovery work, tutoring children, and working with food justice issues. On his trip to Immokalee, FL Troy worked with migrant workers in the coalition of Immokalee and worked with food justice programs. Troy is now an E-Board member for ASB and he will be a team leader this year.

Since 2013, Troy has been a patient advocate at Baystate Medical Center, aiding patients and their visitors. In the summer of 2014, Troy was an AmeriCorps member in Lincoln, NE, where he assisted at a summer camp whose mission was to provide affordable daycare, educational services, and free lunch programs for children of low-income families in the city. During this opportunity, he was thrilled to be changing how these children viewed education and providing them with the resources for further development of life skills. During his time in Nebraska, Troy earned the nickname “T-Roy the Science Boy” for creative, engaging manner thorough which he tutored science.

Upon graduation Troy will join AmeriCorps for a year before applying for medical school. Troy would like to thank his family for its love and support in all of his ridiculous adventures across the country while doing what he loves. He’ll never forget any of you.

Pegah ShakeranehDoctor of Pharmacy Candidate

Pegah Shakeraneh is a second year Doctor of Pharmacy candidate for 2018. Her commitment to academics has earned her recognition on the President’s List each year as well as acceptance in the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. A former captain of the Belchertown High School tennis team and still an avid player, Pegah uses tennis as a stress release.

As an undergraduate in the Pre-pharmacy program, Pegah was very involved in student activities across campus. Her focus was with the Residence Hall Association where she was secretary of both Franklin and Commonwealth Halls. Additionally, Pegah was a Peer Advisor.

Upon entering the Pharmacy Doctoral program, Pegah became involved in many of the student pharmacy groups on campus. Most notably she is a member of the Student Society of Health Systems Pharmacists. Through this organization she has been able to expand her leadership abilities by co-chairing the first-ever College of Pharmacy Health fair held last spring. Pegah has been elected as president of SSHP and will again organize the College of Pharmacy Health Fair this April. This event will include a variety of exhibits and giveaways as well as licensed pharmacists to assist patrons with their concerns.

She has also gained experience by interning at the CVS Pharmacy in her hometown for the past two years. During her first rotation at Western Massachusetts Hospital in Westfield, MA, she was able to experience a hospital setting for the first time. This semester Pegah is getting a different perspective on community pharmacy at the Stop and Shop in West Springfield.

After graduation Pegah plans to pursue a residency to expand her knowledge of the pharmacy field. She is particularly interested in emergency medicine pharmacy and hopes to gain more experience that area of expertise.

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Alexander DeFeliceRoyal Skookum

Bachelor of Arts – Psychology

Alex DeFelice, a Psychology major, with a 3.87 GPA, comes to us from historic Plymouth, MA. He is currently President of both the Psychology Club and the International Psychology Honor Society Psi Chi and is a member of Omnicron Delta Kappa and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies.

While here at Western New England Alex has discovered a passion for altruism and has exemplified this passion through a variety of avenues on campus. He has served as a Peer Advisor for two years, assisting over 40 first year students. Alex was also an Orientation Group Leader for the Class of 2018 and has helped students inside the classroom as a First Year Seminar assistant, where he was responsible for fostering relationships, grading assignments, and proctoring classes.

This past summer Alex continued his role in supporting first year students, accepting a Bear Tracks Leader position to mentor a small group of new students at a camp in the Berkshires. Here they experienced team building through various outdoor adventures, ultimately developing a strong foundation on which to begin their college careers. Dean Kerri Jarzabski commends Alex as a “dedicated student leader, whose integrity and drive to help others is impressive.”

Beyond the Office of First Year students, Alex can be frequently found walking backwards around campus as a tour guide for the Admissions Office or with his head often in a filing cabinet as the assistant to the Provost of the University.

Since his sophomore year Alex has conducted research with Dr. Jason Seacat investigating bias toward overweight individuals. This implicit attitude assessment has participants categorize images and adjectives associated with those images in order to measure their views on average weight versus obesity. Alex feels the research provides a new level of understanding that can’t be learned in the classroom and hopes that publishing their findings will benefit him as he prepares for graduate school.

Alex intends to pursue further education in the field of counseling psychology to achieve his dream of becoming a college psychologist.

Lyndsey St.JeanRoyal Skookum

Bachelor of Science– Industrial Engineering

Lyndsey St. Jean is double majoring in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management with a minor in Mathematical Science from Burrillville, RI. Her commitment to academics has earned her a 3.94 GPA and induction into numerous honor societies, including Omicron Delta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, and Mortar Board. You can find her singing and dancing any time of the day to any or no music at all. Lyndsey wakes up every single day vowing to make it a good one.

Lyndsey has had the opportunity to gain experience in her field through two internships. Her first internship was through Unilever, where she worked with the supply chain of numerous projects, including one with Tresemme Hair Care. Her second internship was in Boston with Eversource Energy, where she worked on a process team identifying the assets in the natural gas side of the company, as well as focusing on what improvements could be made within those asset classes. Lyndsey managed at team of over 20 people to assemble the final report.

During her time at Western New England, Lyndsey has dedicated many hours to several different organizations, such as Society of Women Engineers, American Society of Engineering Management, and the Institute of Industrial Engineers. She has also had the opportunity to work with first year students as a First Year Seminar Assistant and Student Ambassador. Lyndsey is the most passionate about mentoring other students, including prospective students, first-year students, and engineering students.

Looking forward, Lyndsey hopes to work as a process or project engineer in New England. Ultimately she wants to continue her education to earn PhD and return to academia as a professor. Her desire is to inspire young women engineers showing them that with hard work and dedication, there are no boundaries to their success in any field they choose.

Bobby CarusoGrand Skookum

Bachelor of Arts– Communication

Bobby Caruso is a Communication-Journalism major from Long Island, NY and is minoring in Media and Theatre. He has a 3.89 GPA and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, Lambda Pi Eta, Mortar Board, and Omicron Delta Kappa. Additionally, Bobby was selected to attend the Alpha Lambda Delta National Leadership Workshop.

He has enjoyed much personal growth while at Western New England. Before being accepted to the University, Bobby never considered himself academically motivated, but that soon changed once he experienced support from the college community. After being inspired by his Peer Advisor, FSA , and OGLs, Bobby decided he wanted to impact the lives of first year students in the same way and has been a standout in each of these roles.

Beyond his dedication to first year programming, Bobby is also a committed participant and former Executive Board member of the Stageless Players. During his junior year he became a member of Class Council. Bobby has been involved with University’s media outlets including the radio station, WNEK, sharing a show entitled “The News Feed.” He also worked on the campus television station, GBTV, co-hosting an entertainment show. Bobby thrives on pop culture. Given that, it is no surprise that his dream job is to be the host of E! News. Bobby’s enthusiasm for entertainment news led to his partnering with instructor Brenda Garton to create a course on the subject. In his free time, Bobby has been a passionate news consumer who you can find Tweeting about everything from Joe Biden to Kylie Jenner. He has held internships at VH1, The Huffington Post, the Springfield Republican, BlueLink Marketing, and with State Senator Eric Lesser.

Currently, Bobby is studying abroad at the American University of Paris. While there he is continuing to work with VH1: he will cover European based events and is working in an editorial capacity for its online publication “The Plume.” In his spare time is taking advantage of the culture sampling a wide array of wines, cheeses, and breads.