The awards recognize 29 outstanding public college and university graduates, one from each public university in Massachusetts.
Top row, left to right, Hannah Barrett, Alex Chaez and Sarah Ferguson; second row, left to right, Ryan Meersman, Evelyn Stankowski and Camille Theriaque.A Fulbright scholar doing research on hearing loss and a student who is a personal care attendant for his ailing father are among the 29 college graduates who will be honored Thursday by the state Board of Education during a ceremony at the Statehouse.
Six of the 29 outstanding students to be honored today with “29 Who Shine” awards have ties to the Pioneer Valley, including Hannah D. Barrett, a Fulbright scholar from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Alex Samuel Chaez, a student at Springfield Technical Community College, who is caring for his ailing father.
The awards recognize 29 outstanding public college and university graduates, one from each community college, state university and University of Massachusetts campus in the state for their academic achievement and community service.
“These exceptional students have earned the respect and admiration of the whole commonwealth,” Gov. Deval L. Patrick said in a press release. “I look forward to seeing all the ways they will contribute to a better Massachusetts”
“The collective brainpower of students like the 29 Who Shine is the commonwealth’s greatest asset in the global competition for industry and jobs,” Richard M. Freeland, state commissioner of higher education, said in a prepared statement. “I am thrilled to see this level of achievement by our public college and university graduates.”
Each of the commonwealth’s 29 public college and university campuses chose their own honorees.
The following is about the honorees with Western Massachusetts links and information about their backgrounds:
• Hannah D. Barrett is a Commonwealth Honors College student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who has been awarded a Fulbright postgraduate scholarship to do research related to hearing loss at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. A psychology major, she has a strong interest in stigma and stereotyping.
• Alex Samuel Chaez, a student at Springfield Technical Community College, will be the first person in his family to graduate from college. Chaez decided to attend college in the area to be able to help his parents, both financially and physically. He is a personal care assistant to his father, Samuel, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease. Chaez plans to continue his studies in information technology security with the goal of getting a doctorate.
• Sarah A. Ferguson, of Holyoke, is a biology major with a pre-med concentration at Framingham State University. She is minoring in biochemistry and is a member of the university’s honors program. Ferguson has excelled in the science lab, mastering complex techniques in areas including DNA extraction and purification as well as cloning and analytical biotechnology. Ferguson is listed in Who’s Who Among Colleges and Universities’ spring 2012 edition.
• Ryan R. Meersman is a campus leader and honors student at Westfield State University who has a grade point average of 3.9 in seven out of seven semesters. He is in his third term as the student representative to Westfield State University’s board of trustees. Meersman is also a member of the Student Government Association and a member of the Student Advisory Council to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.
• Nineteen-year-old Evelyn P. Stankowski has a 3.96 grade point average at Greenfield Community College. She started her studies there at the age of 17 as a dual-enrolled student from the Franklin County Technical School. Stankowski has served as a peer tutor at Greenfield Community College. She has garnered multiple scholarships for excellence in business, free market economic theory and for representing women in academic. Stankowski will transfer to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to get a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting.
• Camille L. Theriaque, the first female African-American firefighter in the history of the Holyoke Fire Department, served it for 18 years, attaining the rank of lieutenant. She retired four years ago after developing chronic myelogenous leukemia, which caused blood clots to form in her legs and lungs. A student at Holyoke Community College, she has a 3.89 grade point average and plans to attend Mount Holyoke College in the fall.