St. Joseph’s President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., will formally confer degrees on more than 300 graduating students at SJC Brooklyn’s 100th annual commencement Sunday, May 19, at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge.
Valedictorian Adnan Bin Hoq will address the Class of 2019, which includes 216 students receiving undergraduate degrees and 108 students earning graduate degrees.
Visit here for directions to the event and other commencement details.
Meanwhile, meet some of the most impressive SJC Brooklyn seniors:
Class of 2019 Valedictorian
Adnan Hoq, the Class of 2019 valedictorian, dove right into the intricacies of computer science when he traveled across the world to St. Joseph’s College from his hometown, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Adnan Hoq
A natural multi-tasker, Hoq maintained a 4.0 GPA, while taking on a number of impressive internships. He worked as a full-stack developer at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering; a software and data consultant at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; a web developer and instructor for Win2Learn, an organization that offers in-person and online STEM classes with a focus on computer science and robotics; a research contributor for “Fitting the Parameters of a Compartmental Model for Breast Cancer;” and a researcher in student recruitment for Blockchain, a company that builds cryptographic ledger systems.
“Words cannot express how honored and elated I feel to have the wonderful privilege of representing my peers, the class of 2019, at the commencement,” Hoq said. “It still feels so surreal and somewhat overwhelming.”
After graduation, Hoq will participate in the highly-competitive Microsoft Research Data Science Summer Program, where he will learn about the core concepts, methods and tools of data science. During the program, he will work under the tutelage of Microsoft scientists and publish a specific research under their guidance.
An All-Around Athlete, Scholar and Volunteer
High spirits follow Denise Trerotola everywhere she goes — whether it’s on the tennis court, in the English department, or while volunteering.
Denise Trerotola
Trerotola spent all four years at SJC as a competitive tennis player. In her senior year alone, Trerotola was named to the All-Skyline Conference Second Team, won Skyline Player of the Week and made the Skyline Weekly Honor Roll.
She was constantly reaching new heights on the courts, finishing her Bear career with program records in singles victories and combined victories.
When Trerotola wasn’t pushing herself to be her best at tennis practices, she was busy committing herself to service to make the world a better place. Trerotola traveled on Alternative Spring Break trips for three straight years, helping communities in South Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas.
She also held leadership positions in Students Taking a Role in Positively Empowering Society (S.T.R.I.P.E.S.). Through the club, she helped make coloring books for children, birthday signs for the Confetti Project, and pitched in with the Thanksgiving food drive.
“I’m very grateful for my experience at St. Joe’s because I had the opportunity to play tennis, get involved in clubs and Student Government, and do well academically,” Trerotola said. “I experienced a lot of growth as both a leader and a person.”
After graduation, Trerotola plans to work in a law office, or with a judge, while applying to law school.
The Power of Caregiving
When Shawn Kelly collects his diploma, he will walk alongside the first cohort of nursing students to complete four years at St. Joseph’s.
Shawn Kelly
Between his nursing classes, Kelly immersed himself in educational experiences outside of the classroom to prepare himself for life following graduation. He participated in programs at the Woodhull Hospital Center, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Kings County Hospital, Bellevue Hospital Center, Brooklyn Plaza Medical Center ancd Plainview Hospital.
Kelly also immersed himself into the SJC Brooklyn community, often spending his free time on campus tutoring his peers in chemistry, human biology, nursing studies, psychology and statistics. A spotlight was turned on his personal academic skills during the Undergraduate Research Symposium earlier this month. At the symposium, Kelly shared his research on the best practices for management and staffing structures that would support a medical-surgical care unit — properly providing safety, teamwork and delivery of quality, patient-centered care in the unit.
“My overall experience at St. Joseph’s College marks a time of personal growth, development and achievement in my life,” Kelly said. “It opened my eyes to new ideas and perspectives, and it taught me to be a better person.”
In the coming months, Kelly plans to complete a fellowship in Critical Care Nursing — the next step in his journey to becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
Dominating the Business World
Amanda Salzano is an all-star student in the business and marketing department.
She amassed straight A’s in both her business major and marketing minor, earned a place on the Dean’s list every semester since her arrival at St. Joseph’s, worked on campus as a peer tutor, was nominated as a valedictorian candidate, and began climbing the ranks to her dream career. Amanda worked at Sephora throughout college and was recently offered a position in upper management.
Amanda Salzano
After graduation she will continue building her career at Sephora, while pursuing a Master’s in Human Resources Management at St. Joseph’s.
“I have been able to draw logical connections between what I have learned from business courses to participating first hand in an organization. I am eager to begin my professional career with both practical experience and a strong academic foundation.”
While working at Sephora, Amanda exemplified St. Joseph’s pillar of service. She participated in Sephora Stands Together — a program that provides short-term assistance to Sephora employees facing financial hardship caused by natural disaster, family emergency and other unexpected events. She volunteered to have money taken out of her paycheck for several months to help other Sephora employees affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Amanda was also the recipient of this year’s Elizabeth McKegny award — named in honor of a former professor in the Business Department. The award was established by McKegny’s family upon her passing to recognize her support and lifelong commitment to the Business and Marketing Department at SJC Brooklyn.
