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SUNY WCC Welcomes a New Cohort of 20 Students Into It’s Honors College
At Least 8 Members of the National Honors Society Join SUNY Westchester Community College’s 2022 Cohort of Honors College Students
October 19, 2022
SUNY Westchester Community College welcomed a new cohort of 20 students into its Honors College for the fall 2022 semester. This is the sixth entering cohort since the Honors College founding in 2017. These ambitious scholars are pursuing SUNY and NYSDE approved honors-designated degrees in one of two curricula: Liberal Arts and Sciences: Social Science, or Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities. Honors College students are chosen following a rigorous selection process, including extensive applications, recommendations and interviews.
Accepted students receive guaranteed tuition coverage and substantial textbook stipends from the SUNY WCC Foundation thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. They will have to fulfill at least 40% of their program requirements at the honors level and maintain a 3.5 GPA to graduate with an honors-designated associate degree. These student scholars also have access to specialized co-curricular programming, including the study abroad program offered in partnership with Cambridge University, the Philosophia Honors Society, student conferences and symposia, student publications, and internships.
“I was on High Honor Roll all throughout high school and was a part of the New York State Mathematics Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the Spanish Honor Society,” said Gabriela Velasquez, graduate of Peekskill High School. “Due to my financial situation, I have always been concerned that I would not be able to afford to go to college. I am very grateful for this opportunity to pursue a Liberal Arts Social Science Honors degree at SUNY WCC and then continue my studies in Computer Science at CUNY.”
“SUNY Westchester Community College is an institution where those with a passion to improve and achieve can find the resources and instruction needed to reach their goals,” said WCC President Dr. Belinda Miles. “Students from all walks of life, with a diverse array of needs and interests, seek their opportunity on our campus. Our most recent Honors College students are not just an elite cohort; they exemplify the spirit of all our students. From the student whose life goal is to help teens in need of mental assistance because she was told that adolescents like her shouldn’t have any mental issues to the immigrant student who plans to become a lawyer and advocate for human rights, WCC will be preparing a new generation of change-makers whose vision and devotion will help make our region – and our nation – a better place.”
“We are proud of the opportunities we offer our high-achieving students, such as those in our Honors College. WCC offers these students a tremendous foundation for pursuing their academic goals at such four-year institutions as Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, Williams, NYU, Sarah Lawrence, as well as SUNY campuses and local colleges.”
Honors College Class of 2024 Cohort:
Liberal Arts and Sciences: Social Science A.A., Honors Concentration
Charlise Alverio Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management, New York, NY
Paula Davila Putnam Valley High School, Putnam Valley, NY
Kiarah Filippakopoulos Putnam Valley High School, Putnam Valley, NY
Alicia Greco Correa Rye Neck High School, Mamaroneck, NY
Luis Hernandez Walter Panas High School, Cortland Manor, NY
John Hayes Salesian High School, New Rochelle, NY
Evelyn Lopez White Plains High School, White Plains, NY
Carolina Mendoza New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY
Markian Nychka Byram Hills High School, Armonk, NY
Angelina Rivera Yonkers High School, Yonkers, NY
Jessica Sabau Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
Peter Saca Alexander Hamilton High School, Elmsford, NY
Patrick Sullivan Fordham Preparatory School, Bronx, NY
Andres Suna Guzman Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
Lotus Taylor Homestead High School, Cupertino, CA
Michael Tetro Walter Panas High School, Cortland Manor, NY
Sinsha Varghese Port Chester High School, Port Chester, NY
Gabriela Velasquez Peekskill High School, Peekskill, NY
Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities A.A., Honors Concentration
Carolina Martins Soares de Oliveira Centro Educational Sagrada Familia, Brasilia Distrito Federal, Brazil
Mary Whelan The Ursuline High School, New Rochelle, NY
