Annual Awards for Students, Faculty & Staff

During the annual Charter Day celebration for St. Francis College Friday, April 25, outgoing President Frank J. Macchiarola '62 announced that portions of the recent $1 million gift from John '51 and Mary McCarthy will be used to complete and fully endow scholarships named for four Franciscan Brothers. A fifth scholarship will also be replenished. The McCarthy's were at the ceremony to accept the St. Clare Medal of Service.

"Please believe me, you can do anything you can dream," McCarthy implored the students in attendance. He told the story of how he got his first job, not letting up on a Citibank manager. McCarthy told the boss that if he wasn't better than every one of the workers already there in three years, the manager could throw him out of the building. He also told of how former Speech Professor Francis Delaney made it his mission to "cure" McCarthy of his Brooklyn accent. Delaney failed and McCarthy spent the rest of his life being praised by audiences across the country for keeping an accent that reflected his personality and made him unique amongst his financial peers.

The scholarships being completed are for Brother Robert Schaefer, O.S.F., Brother Thomas O'Neill, Brother John Hoffschmidt, O.S.F. and Brother Henry Cuddy, O.S.F. The scholarship for Brother George Larkin, O.S.F. is being replenished so it can be awarded again next year.

The ceremony also included inductions into the Duns Scotus Honor Society, the awarding of two accounting students with internships and scholarships by National Grid, the presentation of three honorary degrees as well as other awards and honors.

In a tribute to Franciscan Education across the region, St. Francis College awarded honorary degrees to the Principals and President of three prominent local high schools. Brother Leonard Conway, O.S.F. (Principal, St. Francis Preparatory High School), Brother Gary Creegan, O.S.F. (Principal, St. Anthony's High School) and Raymond P. Nash (President, Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School) were all awarded the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, for their work in furthering Franciscan ideals among the thousands of students who have made their way through their respective schools.

St. Francis alumnus Kenneth Daly '88, who is now the CFO for Global Gas Distribution at National Grid (formerly KeySpan) and an adjunct professor at St. Francis, thanked the various people who helped get him into the College (Brother George Larkin, O.S.F.), taught him about numbers (Professor Peter Gomori) and helped him find his first job (Brother John Hoffschmidt, O.S.F.). Daly then presented two current St. Francis students with a National Grid Scholarship and Internship, Javier Crespo and Jeffrey Taveras. He pointed out that there are currently more than 100 St. Francis College graduates working at National Grid, including the Vice President U.S. Treasury, Lorraine Lynch '91, and that he expects Javier and Jeffrey to carry on the proud tradition that leads to numerous people asking Daly to supply him not just with interns, but with St. Francis College interns.

New York State Assemblywoman Joan Millman was also at the ceremony to present President Macchiarola with a proclamation honoring him for his work over the past twelve years leading St. Francis College.

Charter Day commemorates May 8, 1884, the day the Legislature of the State of New York granted an official Charter to the Board of Trustees of St. Francis Monastery allowing the College to formally award degrees to students. The school was founded almost thirty years earlier in 1859 after two Franciscan Brothers who were sent to Brooklyn from Ireland with the mission of educating the borough's working class people.

Duns Scotus Inductees
Founded in 1935, the Duns Scotus Society is named for the Blessed Duns Scotus, a Franciscan scholar and champion of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception. Election to membership in the Society is based on scholastic standing, participation in extracurricular activities, evidence of loyalty to the ideals of St. Francis College and demonstration of a true Franciscan spirit.

Karim A. Badawy Sharon A. Haughton

Sylvia C. Carrion Richard S. Kuberski, II

Nertila Canka Wai-Ting Lam

Jennifer R. Crespo Leonid Nashtatik

Salvatore P. Demma Nemanja Pucarevic

Laura M. Donodeo Bibi T. Rashid

Yevgeniya Duko Russell Samofal

Michael A. Estrella Samantha Stender

Sonia Gutkin Jessica Verderame

Honorary Duns Scotus Inductees
Jennifer Lancaster, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology
Evelyn Wolfe, Ph.D., Chairperson, Department of Chemistry & Physics

Dean's Award
The Dean's Award recognizes and rewards students who have completed 28 or more credits at St. Francis College with a minimum grade point average of 3.6 and do not already receive a scholarship from St. Francis College, even if they do receive state or federal grants such as TAP or Pell.

Maria C. Moyseos
Dolma T. Magar
Salvatore Ippolito
Peter E. O'Rourke
Pierre D. Hinds
Lai Y. Koe
William W. Gamonski
Lisena Hasanaj
Maurice E. Daniel
Terence H. Caufield
Sandyrose Rolon
Lisa D. Rivera
Alisa P. Smith-Skeffers
Marie P. Marchiano
Claudia L. Ricciardi
Patricia A. Alonzo
Michael A. Estrella
Juan Leyva
Jacqueline A. Catalano
Marco Ceccatelli
Harold A. Solis
Mariejo D. Roman
Sasha K. Aird-King
Mariya D. Paunova
Jisleyni M. Perez
Michael D. Mehser