Awards & Recipients
Special Award for Excellence in Accounting
Recipients: Olga Grovas, Olena Syrkova
Special Award for Excellence in Finance
Recipient: Samuel Wasser
Special Award for Excellence in Management
Recipient: Izabella Amirbekova
Special Award for Excellence in Computer Science
Recipients: Alexander Dadaya, Alexandr Treyger
Special Award for Excellence in Biology
Recipients: Leora Barzi, Alena Gnatovski, Odeya Levihim, Sara Wilhelm
Special Award for Excellence in Education
Recipient: Jane Monica Cohen
Special Award for Excellence in Human Services
Recipients: Zhanna Arutinian, Emilia Yanyak, Yan Hua Zhou
Special Award for Excellence in Psychology
Recipients: Shakenia Brister, Rachel Zahava Gittler, Mandi Mamanna, Paul Miller, Yehuda Schon
Special Award for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies
Recipients: Kimberly Adams, Debra Ann Albino, Lori DeMeloitz
Lester Eckman Memorial Award
Dr. Lester Eckman, professor of History and Holocaust Studies, was a full time faculty member of Touro College New York School of Career and Applied Studies for more than forty years. He was loved by his students not only for his scholarship but for his great sensitivity and caring. A remarkable human being, Dr. Eckman was dedicated to the Touro mission and to NYSCAS.
Recipients: Debra Ann Albino, Yehuda Schon, Sara Wilhelm, Lori DeMeloitz
Program
Wednesday, June 17th 2020 • 6:00PM
OPENING
Timothy Taylor
Associate Dean of Students, New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS)
NATIONAL ANTHEM
Ms. Daria Taylor
Friend of NYSCAS
INVOCATION
Rabbi Moshe Krupka
Executive Vice President, Touro College and University System
WELCOME FROM THE DEAN
Dr. Judah Weinberger
Dean, New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS)
MESSAGE TO THE GRADUATES
Dr. Alan Kadish
President, Touro College and University System
MESSAGE TO THE GRADUATES
Dr. Stanley Boylan
Vice President of Undergraduate Education, Touro College
STUDENT SPEAKERS
Debra Albino
Yehuda Schon
PRESENTATION OF DEGREE CANDIDATES
CONFERRAL OF DEGREES
Dr. Alan Kadish
President, Touro College and University System
CLOSING REMARKS
Dr. Judah Weinberger
Dean, New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS)
Bachelor of Arts Candidates
* = Cum Laude ** = Magna Cum Laude *** = Summa Cum Laude
Nanayaw Onwona Adofo*
Crystal Anjalic Ahammer
Folusho Aiyedun
Debra Ann Albino*
Shenaida Allen
Jennifer N. Alvarado*
Lillian Amoah-Yartey
Yehoshua Amrami**
Rachel Antebi
Coleen Antoine*
Jason Aponte***
Tamara Aranbayeva
Ayana A. Arnaud
Aimilly S. Baez
Nissim Balassiano*
Anna Baratyants
Kellyann N. Barnwell
Sencia Belton
Lisette Betances
Wanda M. Bethea
Alina Nida Bhatti
Sharona Bibichayeva**
Elizabeth M. Bibichayeva**
Sophia Bleary*
Shmuel G. Blonder
Fritzgerald Bontemps
Joi Booker
Hany G. Botrous*
Claudette Boxhill*
LaShonda C. Braithwaite*
Latasha Nicole Brewster
Shakeenia Brister
Damon L. Brown
Krystal L. Bruckman
Khalil J. Brunson
Priscilla A. Burgos
Vickie Burt
Yuriy Buslovich
Taresie Butler
Destheny Cabrera
Donna L. Capers*
Alfred D. Caruso***
Ashley E. Casale
Christine Sophia Caul
Shirmaine Charles*
Cynthia Charles
Choumart Charmant
Robert Chilelli*
Shawanna I. Coe
Rachel Cohen**
Ximena Condo
Teresa R. Cordero
Sherlana S. Cummings*
Talisa Cunalata
Derrick Donelle Cusack
Brittney W. Cyrus
Tatiana Darieva**
Olive David***
David M. Daza
Jennifer R. Diaz**
Gladys Duran***
Aliya Ediberidze
Trisha Edouard
Nardia Samantha Edwards**
Chaya Ennakab
Samuel Fattakhov
Caterina Faust*
Eitan Zecharia Feiger
Francesco Felici
Clarissa Ferreira***
Ariany Ferreira*
Betty Angelina Flores
Jessica Flores
Mercedes E. Follett*
Keith Matthew Frazier
Rosa Herminia Frias**
Brocha L. Friedman***
Hadiyah Fulton**
Sophia Fulton**
Joseph Fuzaylov*
Mariamme Lana Garber**
Isaac Genuth*
Areen Sami Gheith
Rachel Zahava Gittler***
Amelia Gomez
Josephine Gonzalez
David Grant
Natalie Grigorian
Rosanna Guarnera
Clara Hagley*
Keisha M. Harley
Travis Tyrrell Haynes*
Shoshana R Hecht
Annibel Heinsen Devora
Brian P. Henry-Lewis
Amber Hernandez***
Jessica J. Hernandez*
Mark Hernandez*
Jazmin A. Hernandez
Joseph Herskowitz***
Avrohom Mordechai Hoffman
Ann L. Holder
Nervana A. Hossani
Daniel Ilyabayev
Sharona Ilyayeva
Iyana Inniss*
Nikel Claudia Irwin***
Cornelia R. Isaac
Michael Isakov**
Sarah Izgelov
Toni S. James*
Feebade James
Mariel J. Javier
Diandra Line’e Jenkins
Adourable D. Jenkins
Jeanee Johnson
Annmarie Johnson
Denaya A. Johnson
Deborah Jones
Armenta N. Jones
Hope T. Jones
Chana Raizy Joseph
Jethro Joseph
Annazette V. Justin
Esther Kalatizadeh
Tiffany Kandov**
Jeffrey Katsman
Violeta Kazakova**
Dominiqua M. Kearse***
Rachel Khaimova*
Rosheela Khan*
Satara Khan
Riva-Rachael V. Khanimova
Intigam Khashmati
Jennifer Koptiev**
Georgios Kotis
Elena Kuneeva**
Sabrina Heather Kushner
Ketty Labay*
Ayeola A. Langford
Jacqueline Rochelle Lankri*
Samantha Lanza
Deneeka Leon
Simona Levin*
Jaclyn Michele Levin
Chaya Faiga Levy
Amanda Levyhaim
Juliet Lindsay**
Stephanie Nicole Lopez
Reginald Lozandier
Danita Lyones
Diamond J. Mack
Catherine Sara Mahon***
Amina Malik
Mandi Mamanna
Aaron Margulis
Viviana Marin
Sparkle Stacy Martin*
Oscar M. Martinez
Dinorah Martinez
Shlomo Mashiyev
Yaffa Mashkabov**
Rolanda M. Matthews*
Candice Mel-Lisa McDuffie
Amirah Bashirah McIntosh
Evelyn A. Mejia
Eva Marina Melara
Rebecca Micial
Paul M. Miller
Tamika Miller**
Leah Mirzayeva
Shakell I. Mitchell*
Natalie Mizrachi***
Aracely Monge Hernandez**
Nazha Dora Montezuma
Yanibel Del Carmen Morillo Sanchez
Nagela Morin*
Jamielia T. Moses
Sm Shahriar Murad
Miriam Mushaiev
Yehuda Leon Nakkach
Sandy G. Nashed
Rebecca Natanov**
Ayotunji Newton
Samantha Ng
Carlene K. Nickie
Marizabel Nunez*
Florence Onitiri
Carmen Maria Ortiz
Ulysses Manuel Ortiz-Arenas
Angelinalove Osorio
Arnoldo H. Otway Jr
Lauren N. Palumbo*
Eleice M. Pereira
Tarah Hanna Perez**
Florence L Perry*
Naline Pilgrim*
Milana Pinkhasova
Reveka E. Pinkhasova
Michelee Pizarro
Margarita Plamenitskaya***
Shoshana Plashteav*
Kevin Plavcak
Estenia Previl
Hechter Previlon
Omwattie Ragoobir**
Annette P. Rattray
Sharon Reese
Laura Franchesca Reyes
Christina Rios
Angelica P. Rodriguez
Julia E. Rodriguez**
Maria Rodriguez*
Rachelle Rubinoff
Kristi Salus***
Avrohom Yehoshua Samuels*
Valentin Sanchez
Amanda C. Sanders**
Tina F. Santiago*
Mary Lael Sato
Dwayne Edrae Sato
Yehuda Schon***
Helen Schwartz**
Benigna Seda
Anastassiya Shamina
Esther Shmaya
Shoshana Leah Sklar**
Leeba M. Smulowitz**
Eleana Soler
Hannah Sparks
Jordana Iardena Spitz
Bernita Stanley*
Joshua Seth Steinberg
Niambi Ashia Stoll
Victoria R. Sturman**
Starr S. Suarez
Shari Sudlow
Abu Sufian***
Zulaikha Tariq*
Laporscha M Taylor
Kadidja Theodore
Linda D. Thomas
Chaoul Timsit**
Ora Tobi*
Jeremy Trapani*
Alcian Trought
Oxana Trusova*
Karen Annette Tyson
Asolatkhon Ubaydullaeva***
Patience Udoyi
Airam Lizbeth Urbaez**
Yana Vainer
Elizabeth Valdez*
Yvette Velasquez*
Dalia E Velez
Curlin Sherin Vincent
Melissa N. Walters**
Kizzie I. Weaver
Leah Weinreb***
Toinenajah Amel Whitney***
Darlene Williams
Sherlyn C Williams
Nekisha Williamson
Kevin Winter
Aleks Yakubov
Batel Zaurov*
Victoria Zavalunova
Merita Zenelaj**
Menachem Mendel Zuntz***
Keynote Address
Had our commencements taken place as usual, offline, NYS Assemblywoman Nicole Malliontakis would have been a keynote speaker. Though she could not address you in this virtual ceremony, she wanted to share a message with the NYSCAS Class of 2020.
Nicole Malliotakis
NYS Assemblywoman
Graduates of Touro NYSCAS,
I would like to congratulate you all today on this tremendous achievement and milestone in your lives. You have all overcome personal challenges and difficulties and are celebrating today under unprecedented circumstances in the face of a global epidemic. The range of emotions you all must be feeling on this day is indescribable. Happiness for your accomplishment. Sadness that you cannot celebrate with a traditional graduation ceremony surrounded by your peers. Uncertainty about the future and the next step in your life.
Whatever emotions you feel on this day, and days to come, nothing can ever take away the accomplishments you have all earned through hard work, discipline, and integrity. I remember how proud I was on my graduation day as the first in my family to graduate from college. Enjoy this day and appreciate the utmost pride and sense of accomplishment you have earned.
As we begin the rebuilding process you all will play an integral part of our success moving forward. Whatever field you have chosen to pursue will need leaders and innovators. The unique challenge of graduating college during the COVID-19 pandemic will forever serve as a testament to your strength, willpower, and tenacity. We need these talents as we begin to rebuild our lives, communities, and country. Wherever your path leads you, remember this moment and the adversity you’ve overcome. You are the ones who will determine the future of this state and nation and the generations that follow you are counting on you to leave them a nation that is stronger and greater than it is today.
Congratulations Touro NYSCAS Class of 2020. I can’t wait to see the change and light you bring into this world moving forward.
All the best
Nicole Malliotakis
About Assemblywoman Malliotakis
Nicole Malliotakis was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 2, 2010, defeating a two-term incumbent. She currently serves as Assistant Minority Whip and the ranking minority member of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees. In addition, she was the 2017 Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of New York.
Assemblywoman Malliotkais is the daughter of immigrants, her father from Greece and her mother a Cuban exile of the Castro dictatorship. She is currently the only female Republican and only Hispanic Republican elected official in New York City, and represents a district spanning the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Prior to being elected, Assemblywoman Malliotakis served as liaisons for the late State Senator John Marchi and Governor George Pataki. Subsequent to Governor Pataki’s departure from office, she worked as a public affairs manager for Con Edison focusing on the state’s energy, economic, and environmental policies.
Assemblywoman Malliotakis has been named one of 2012’s “40 Under 40 Latino Rising Stars” by the Hispanic Coalition of New York, as well as a member of Greek America’s “Forty Under 40” Class of 2012 for which she was recognized at their annual National Innovation Convention. In 2013, she was named one of the American Conservative Union’s “Top 10 Under 40” and addressed the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), for which MSNBC identified her as a “young conservative to watch.”
Recovery and rebuilding following Hurricane Sandy has become a hallmark of her tenure as an elected official, as her district, which encompasses the eastern shore of Staten Island, was among the hardest hit by the October 2012 storm. In addition, Nicole has successfully fought to restore and expand transit service in both Brooklyn and Staten Island, improve programs for senior citizens, and reform education in our state. She successfully restored and expanded funding for veterans mental health programs and led the fight to cover the college costs for children of military men and women.
In addition, she has worked to improve New York's economic climate and reduce the tax burden on small businesses and residents. She is also a passionate advocate for animal rights and the strengthening of animal cruelty laws.
She recently announced that she will not seek re-election and will instead run for the United States Congress in November 2020.
Valedictorians
Congratulations to the NYSCAS Valedictorians, Recipients of the Lester Eckman Memorial Award! Below, their messages to fellow graduates.
Debra Albino
Valedictorian
Lori DeMeloitz
Valedictorian
Yehuda Schon
Valedictorian
Sara Wilhelm
Valedictorian