NEW YORK, NY – 24 former Hunter student-athletes were celebrated as graduates in the Class of 2012 as a part of the 205th Hunter College Commencement ceremony held on Tuesday, May 29 at the Javits Center.
Volleyball standouts Jerin Kallickal and Mallory Grubler had the honor of sitting on the main stage alongside Hunter President Jennifer J. Raab who worked the athletes into a special presentation involving beach balls also acknowledging their achievements during the ceremony. Track and field members Mehida Alexandre, Eduard Gavrilov and Danilo Rojas as well as wrestler Ryan Baxter also joined President Raab on stage as she acknowledged each for their hard work and accomplishments in their time at Hunter.
TV news anchor Soledad O'Brien, of the CNN morning show “Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien” delivered the keynote address and reminded all in attendance, particularly the graduates to make an impact as they move forward.
“There's nothing worse than doing nothing and saying nothing when your voice is needed,” O'Brien said, adding, “as you head out into the world with new jobs and new life experiences, I beg of you, do not maintain your neutrality, as Dante warned. Pursue excellence, break down those walls, push through the barriers and try to understand people.”
A complete list of graduates in addition to any accolades or awards they received can be found below.
Bachelor of Arts
Ryan Baxter (Departmental Honors Urban Affairs and Planning)
Olga Chagin
Natalia Dittren
Eduard Gavrilov
Christopher Gross
Mallory Grubler (Scholarship & Welfare Hunter Scholars Award Class of 2012, Scholarship & Welfare Fund graduate award 2012 - Melanie Rohrer Rosborough Scholarship)
Jacklyn Henderson
Josiane Joseph (International Sociology Honor Society, Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology)
Arthur Kapetanakis
Johanna Keilwitz (Departmental Honors Urban Affairs and Planning)
Jennifer Kraham
Olga Kovalkova
Christine Luebcke
Sarah McGovern
Megan McKenna
Katina Boutis
Danilo Rojas (Salutatorian, Phi Beta Kappa Nu Chapter, Chemistry Departmental Honors, Alfred Harcourt Research Fellowship, Thomas Hunter History Award, MHJ Wijnen Scholarship and Yale Alumni Scholarship, Scholarship & Welfare Fund graduate award 2012 - David & Sadie Klau Foundation Fellowship)
Carl Skonberg
Mark Wnukowski (Scholarship & Welfare Fund graduate award 2012 - Estate of Dorothy Doob Baumritter Scholarship)
Arielle Zieff
Bachelor of Arts Special Honors Curriculum
Mehida Alexandre (Salutatorian, Departmental Honors in Biology, Distinction in Biology Award, Scholarship & Welfare Fund graduate award 2012 - David & Sadie Klau Foundation Fellowship)
Johanna Keilwitz
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Jerin Kallickal (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society in Nursing Alpha Phi Chapter)
Stanislav Tsoy
Master Science in Education Rehabilitation Counseling
Stephanie Benenati
