#WCCGRAD nd OUR MISSION WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Westchester Community College provides accessible, high quality and affordable education to meet the needs of our diverse community. COMMENCEMENT We are committed to student success, academic excellence, workforce development, economic development and lifelong learning. CEREMONY 72TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2020 PROGRAM GRAND MARSHAL Professor Jose Quiñones, M.S. DANCE PERFORMANCE Students from Elementary Modern Dance 1, NATIONAL ANTHEM Elementary Ballet, and Hip Hop The Star-Spangled Banner Written by Francis Scott Key PRESENTATION of AWARDS Performed by Kaitlyn O’Shea, Class of 2020 Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs WELCOME Vanessa Morest, Ph.D., WELCOME and INTRODUCTORY REMARKS VALEDICTORIAN ADDRESS Belinda S. Miles, Ed.D., President of Westchester Community College Brandon Fernandez, Valedictorian, Class of 2020 The Board of Trustees, the president, administrators, faculty, staff, GREETINGS CONFERRAL of DEGREES and CERTIFICATES alumni, and the graduating class of Westchester Community College Honorable George Latimer, Westchester County Executive Professor Chad Thompson, M.S., Faculty Senate Presiding Officer ALUMNI PLEDGE are honored to have you join us at our 2020 Commencement ceremony. Gianna Jimenez, Student Government Association President Sergio F. Serratto, Westchester Community College Alumni Council President, Class of 2008 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS Mecca Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion & Community MESSAGES of CONGRATULATIONS WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Engagement, Westchester Medical Center Health Network 75 GRASSLANDS ROAD, VALHALLA, NEW YORK GREETINGS from the CHAIR of the BOARD of TRUSTEES Honorable John Nonna, Chair, Board of Trustees, Westchester Community College • 1 • ABOUT THE SPEAKER MECCA (SANTANA) MITCHELL, ESQ. Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement, Westchester Medical Center Health Network WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE WESTCHESTER COUNTY WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Mecca (Santana) Mitchell, Esq., is the Senior Vice President BOARD of TRUSTEES BOARD of LEGISLATORS CABINET ACADEMIC DEANS of Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement for the Honorable John Nonna, Chair Shawn M. Brown, Ed.D. Ronald Bloom, Ph.D. Westchester Medical Center Health Network, a ten-hospital DISTRICT LEGISLATOR LeRoy Mitchell, Ph.D., Vice Chair 1st .....................................................Colin D. Smith Chief of Staff and Dean, School of Health Careers, system located in the Hudson Valley. She is responsible for Honorable Andrew Spano, Vice Chair 2nd .................................................. Kitley S. Covill Vice President of Strategic Operations Technology and Applied Learning building and leveraging relationships with external stakeholders, Robin Bikkal, Esq. 3rd ........................................... Margaret A. Cunzio Vanessa Morest, Ph.D. Raymond Houston, Ed.D.C.T. while also ensuring that all internal organizational policies and Toni Cox-Burns 4th ....................................................... Vedat Gashi Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dean, School of Mathematics, procedures across the hospital network align with diversity, Norman Jacknis, Ph.D. 5th ................................. Benjamin Boykin II, Chair Science and Engineering Anthony Scordino, M.S. inclusion, and equity best practices. Prior to this position, Deborah Raizes 6th ..................................................... Nancy E. Barr Vice President of Information Technology Carmen Martínez-López, Ph.D. Mrs. Mitchell served as the Chief Diversity Officer for the State Gregory Robeson Smith, Ph.D. 7th ........................................... Catherine F. Parker Dean, School of Business and Professional Careers of New York. Appointed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Susan Gerry 8th ......................... Alfreda A. Williams, Vice Chair Brian Murphy, M.B.A., M.S.Ed. Mrs. Mitchell worked on issues affecting the State’s workforce Estefany Palencia, Student Trustee 9th ............................................... Catherine Borgia Vice President and Dean of Administrative Services, Pamela Pollard, M.S. and its citizenry, while also overseeing the Minority and 10th .............................................. Damon R. Maher Chief Financial Officer Dean, Center for Learning Resources, WESTCHESTER Library, Media and Instructional Technology Women-Owned Business initiative. Mrs. Mitchell previously 11th ............................................... Terry Clements Teresita B. Wisell, M.B.A. COMMUNITY COLLEGE served as the Executive Director for the New York City 12th ......................................... MaryJane Shimsky Vice President and Dean of Workforce Development Karen Taylor, Ed.D. Belinda S. Miles, Ed.D., President Department of Education’s Office of Equal Employment 13th ............................... Tyrae Woodson-Samuels and Community Education, Dean, School of Arts, 14th .............................................. David J. Tubiolo Opportunity & Diversity Management and she began her legal Vice President and Dean of Student Access, Humanities and Social Sciences STATE UNIVERSITY 15th ..................................................... Ruth Walter career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Involvement and Success of NEW YORK 16th .................................. Christopher A. Johnson Attorney’s Office. Jim Malatras, Ph.D., Chancellor 17th ............................................... José I. Alvarado WESTCHESTER COUNTY Honorable George Latimer, County Executive • 2 • • 3 • 2020 CURRICULUM AWARD WINNERS 2020 SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARD RECIPIENTS Awards were presented at the Academic Recognition Ceremony Human Services A.A.S. ................................................................ Karla Florez A.A.U.W. Scholarships ............................................................... Maimuna Joof WCC Foundation Merit Scholarships ...................................... Kevin B. Galvin to these outstanding students in associate degree and certificate programs. Human Services A.S. ....................................... Jennifer Hernandez Espinoza ......................................................................................................Lydia Loudig ...........................................................................................................Ceren Gol Liberal Arts & Sciences: Childhood Education A.S . ............ Nora Greenfieldt ..................................................................................................Heidi Marschke ..............................................................................................Elizabeth Mensah SCHOOL OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Marketing A.S. .......................................................................Shanice Ricketts Michael Bobkoff Memorial Scholarship .............................Alexandra Gaspar .............................................................................................. Chandler Murphy Communications & Media Arts A.A. ......................................Joel Van Alstine Office Technologies A.A.S. ......................................................... Rabia Fatima Robert J. Condo & Carmine L. Romano Memorial Award .............................. .................................................................................................... Daniel Nissim Digital Filmmaking A.S. .............................................................Jimmy Lopez Office Technologies Certificate .................................Claudia Pluas-Gonzalez .................................................................................... Andressa Arendartchuk .................................................................................................... Racquel Pena Digital Media Certificate ............................................................ Jason Raider Paralegal A.A.S. ..................................................................Naomi Hernandez Alfred B. Delbello Scholarship ...........................................Laura Mejia Pinilla ........................................................................................... Anthony Sobrevilla Journalism A.S. ........................................................................... Michael Joel Paralegal Certificate .............................................................Roselyn Jimenez Vera Delgrosso Memorial Scholarship.................................... Maajeek Flores ......................................................................................................... Igli Velcani Liberal Arts & Sciences: Humanities A.A. ............................Melanie Hawkins Teaching Assistant Certificate ...............................................Dawn DeRaffele Alyssa DeMonte Memorial Scholarship Award ................Antoinette Moreno WCC Foundation Salutatorian Award ............. Jennifer Hernandez Espinoza Liberal Arts & Sciences: Social Sciences A.A. .............. Brandon I. Fernandez Faculty/Student Association Pepsi Scholarships ................... Alejandra Diaz WCC Foundation Special Incentive Awards .............................Marsela Gjelaj Performing Arts A.S. .......................................................... Farrah Jean-Louis SCHOOL OF HEALTH CAREERS, TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED LEARNING .................................................................................................. Rene Tenesaca .........................................................................................................Ronen