Evelyn Voitsekhovich

Evelyn Voitsekhovich of Fort Lee, N.J. is a Biology major on a pre-medical track. She is a first-generation student with a 4.0 GPA, and was awarded the General Chemistry Achievement Award, as well as the Outstanding Leadership By A First-Year Student Award her freshman year. Evelyn is in the Honors College and a member of the Tri-Alpha and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies with plans to attend medical school.

At Ramapo, Evelyn has been active in the Student Government Association where she is the Senate Vice President as well as the TAS Senator, the Honors College Executive Board, and Sophomores Advancing in Leadership.

Evelyn has also been involved in off–campus organizations, including volunteering as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteering for Mahwah EMS.

Paolo Miyashiro Bedoya

Paolo Miyashiro Bedoya of Pompton Lakes, N.J. is a Management major with a Marketing minor. He has a 3.94 GPA, is on the Dean’s List, and is an active member of the College Honors Program, serving on the Student Executive Board.

At Ramapo, Paolo has been heavily involved, holding positions as the President of the Student Government Association and a Ramapo Admissions Student Ambassador. He is also a Peer Facilitator and works in the Office of Marketing & Communications as a Marketing & Social Media Student Assistant. 

Paolo is dedicated to student leadership, having been recognized with three Outstanding Leadership Awards throughout his time at Ramapo. He is committed to helping students however he can, and plans to use his remaining time as a Roadrunner to continue making an impact on his fellow students. 

Off-campus, Paolo has worked for the past five summers at Happiness is Camping, a summer camp for children with cancer and their siblings. This past summer, he was the Director of Teen Programming, where he facilitated STEM, Life Skills, Work Experience, Mentorship, and College Prep sessions for teenagers with cancer. He has also led fundraising efforts for Happiness is Camping since high school.

Post-graduation, Paolo is to pursue a career in Social Media Marketing or Higher Education/Student Affairs.

Nashari Payano

“As a first-generation Hispanic college student, I’m very grateful for the donors that have funded my scholarship,” says Nashari Payano of South Amboy, N.J. Nashari is a Nursing major with a minor in Spanish Language Studies. She is a third-year student and has a 3.9 GPA. She is currently a student in the college’s Honors Program. 

At Ramapo, Nashari has been active in the American Cancer Society on campus and Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honor Society. She was previously a Resident Assistant in Mackin Hall and has since been promoted to Student Assistant Residence Director for the same building.

Nashari has interned at the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning. After graduation, she plans to become a registered nurse in a pediatric unit post-graduation and then pursue graduate school after a few years of field experience.

Morgan Wall

Morgan Wall of Sewell, N.J. is a Communication Arts major and Music minor. She has a 3.93 GPA and is part of the Honors Program, Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society and Lambda Pi Eta Communications Honor Society.

At Ramapo, Morgan has been active in several organizations and activities, including the Center for Student Involvement, Alpha Phi Omega, the Jane Addams Papers and WRPR. You can find her at the Front Desk in the Center for Student Involvement or on-air on WRPR 90.3 FM, where she co-hosts Cettle Kooked.

Morgan has also been involved in off-campus activities and organizations, including volunteering at pantries, schools, and churches in her local community and previously working as a customer service representative for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She currently serves as one of nine on the Discernment Committee at her church as they search for a new rector.

Matthew Reber

Matthew Reber of Ridgefield Park, N.J. is a Finance major with a Mathematics minor. He has a 3.77 GPA. He is currently the Student Governor and an Investment Committee member of the Ramapo College Foundation, as well as a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.

Matthew has also been involved in off-campus activities and organizations, including tutoring at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Teaneck and as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Jersey. Matthew will be interning at PwC in the summer of 2020, and his career goal is to be an actuary. “My goal for the future is to help individuals and businesses achieve their goals of financial planning and saving for retirement.”

Jessica Ryan

Jessica Ryan of Bloomfield, N.J. is a Literature major with a concentration in K-12 Education. She is a member of the Ramapo College Honors Program with a GPA of 3.6 that has earned her Dean’s List status every semester.

At Ramapo, Jessica currently serves as a Senator-at-Large in the Student Government Association. She is
a published author with work featured in Tarot, a crowdfunded anthology for global distribution. She also has over one dozen articles published in the Ramapo News.

Jessica is a Catechist in the Archdiocese of Newark and a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts. She currently teaches Children’s Liturgy at her parish and serves as a substitute on the Girl Scouts Heart of NJ Gold Award Advisory Committee. She also volunteers for the USO at Newark International Airport.

Emma Lucier-Keller

“After graduation, I hope to pursue a career in the museum field and go on to graduate school for museum studies,” says Emma Lucier-Keller of Point Pleasant, N.J. Emma is a double major in History and American Studies with a double minor in Museum and Women & Gender Studies. She has a 3.9 GPA and is president of the Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society and a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. This past summer her essay, “The Visual Production of Chinese Masculinity in Political Cartoons, Photography, and Laundry,” was published by the New Errands Undergraduate Journal of American Studies.

At Ramapo, Emma has been active in several organizations, including History Club, and Ramapo Admissions Student Ambassadors. Last semester she served as president of Colleges Against Cancer, which raised over $33,000 for the American Cancer Society through their Relay for Life event and various other fundraising initiatives. This semester, Emma has served as president of History Club, which is an organization that hosts guest speakers and history networking sessions.

Emma also works for the Jane Addams Papers Project as an editorial assistant, and transcribes documents of the early twentieth century.

Stephen Geerlof

Stephen Geerlof of Maywood, N.J. is an Accounting major with a double minor in Economics and International Business. He will be a Master of Accounting candidate at Ramapo after graduating in 2018. He has a 3.85 GPA and has been on the Dean’s List every semester.

He served as the Student Trustee on the College’s Board of Trustees, and was a founding member and Vice President of Ramapo’s Beta Alpha Psi chapter.  He has also interned with the Peer Facilitation Program and served as a member of the ASB Dean’s Advisory Council.

Stephen Geerlof

As the Student Trustee for the College’s Board of Trustees, Stephen Geerlof has had the opportunity to represent the student body and learn how the separate divisions of the College come together to provide the best education to its students.  He is also an intern for the Peer Facilitation program and oversees 84 upper class mentors who assist first year students.  “Interning in this role is important to me because I owe much of my success at Ramapo to older students who helped me in my first year,” said Stephen.

Stephen is an Accounting Major, with a minor in Economics, and has a 3.96 GPA.  He has been on the Dean’s List every semester. His hometown is Maywood, NJ.

Princep Shah

Princep Shah of Nepal is a Economics and Business Administration major with a concentration in Finance, and Math minor.  He has a 4.0 GPA.

Princep has been active in Student Government at Ramapo, where he is the Student Governor as well as a member of the ASB Dean’s Advisory Council.   He is also a Resident Assistant, and an active member of the Finance and Investment Clubs, along with honor societies such as Phi Beta Delta, Rho Alpha Sigma, and New Jersey Collegiate Business Administration Association. He also works for the Student Activities and Revenue Management department in the Center for Student Involvement.

As part of a semester abroad, he worked as a Consumer and Wealth Management intern at Bank of Ireland in Dublin.

Of his experiences at Ramapo Princep says, “The leadership and extracurricular opportunities that Ramapo provides has helped me grow a lot…I have learned so much, grown so much, and best of all, I have made friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Alexander Cardazzi

Alexander Cardazzi is a senior from Congers, NY majoring in Math.

Emma Munro

Emma Munro of Mahwah, NJ is a dual major in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, and Music, with a concentration in Production. She has a 3.9 GPA.  Emma was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa, and the New Jersey Collegiate Business Administration Association (NJCBAA).

At Ramapo, Emma has been active in the Ramapo Music Club, as president, and Ramapo Ice Hockey, as the assistant to the general manager.

“Ramapo let me pursue two degrees while most schools don’t even let students in either program take classes in the other…Ramapo allowed me to have a true college experience while only being a short ride from home…and while I am nervous to leave, I am also extremely excited to start this next chapter in my life.”

Josef Weikl

Josef Weikl of Ridgefield, NJ is an Economics major and Mathematics minor. He has a 3.86 GPA and is a member of the Rho Alpha Sigma, Omicron Delta Epsilon, Beta Gamma Sigma, Chi Alpha Sigma, Golden Key International and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies.

At Ramapo, Josef is active in several organizations and activities, including RASA and the Student Government Association.  He currently serves as the Student Trustee on the Ramapo Board of Trustees, and is a Resident Assistant in the College Park Apartments.

Josef has interned for UBS Financial Services in Paramus, NJ and the Atlantic Baseball Confederation College League (ABCCL).

Gelline De Guzman

Gelline De Guzman of Elmwood Park, N.J., is an accounting major. She carries two minors, economics and international business. She has a 3.91 grade point average. Gelline has been inducted into the Golden Key Honour Society and Alpha Lambda Delta.
At Ramapo, Gelline is treasurer for the Student Government Association and is a member of Enactus. She is the business manager for Ramapo News.
Gelline plans to graduate a year early, become a CPA and pursue an MBA and Ph.D. so she will be uniquely qualified to start her own business.

Erica Colavito

Erica Colavito of Middletown, NJ, a Biology major, is a well-rounded individual. She has served as editor-in- chief of her high school’s newspaper; prior to that position she was a writer and sports editor for the publication. She is a peer leader and received special training to work with the freshmen. Erica also volunteered to work on math skills with an autistic boy and at a camp for children in need of social skills training. She also worked with children aged 3 through 5 at a summer camp program and organized hikes in the park. With several classmates, she initiated a collection of soccer equipment that was distributed in Africa. In school, she carried a demanding course load and participated in Soccer and Indoor and Outdoor Track, on the JV and Varsity level. She has a 3.82 grade point average.

Kevin Ng

Kevin Ng of Oradell, N.J., is a mathematics major and an economics minor. He is pursuing certification in the Teacher Education Program. He has a 3.98 grade point average.
At Ramapo, Kevin is a member of the mathematics, teacher education, leadership and first-year honor societies. He also serves as the student trustee, a civic and community engagement center student coordinator, a Ramapo admissions student ambassador, a peer facilitator and an orientation leader.
Interested in sports statistical analysis, Kevin is the league statistician for the Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League. After Ramapo, Kevin plans to earn a Ph. D. in economics.

Camille Menendez

Camille Menendez is enrolled in Ramapo’s College Honors Program, and is conducting research in Bioinformatics with two professors in the School of Theoretical and Applied Science. “Our work has resulted in the publication of our web application in the journal Neucleic Acids Research last summer,” she says. Camille has also presented her research at a Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists conference and a University of Maryland, Baltimore County Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences. She is a Bioinformatics major with a 3.71 grade point average, and plans to complete a Ph.D. in computational or molecular biology. Camille holds leadership positions with the Bioinformatics Club and the Biology Club, and is an active volunteer with her church. She has been a competitve figure skater for 15 years. “I am living proof that people can have more than one passion in life, and be successful in all of them,” she says. Camille is from Hasbrouck Heights, NJ.

After graduating I plan to take advantage of different opportunities in the scientific field before graduate school, so extra funding for this is extremely helpful.

Kevin Manz

Kevin Manz graduated from Ramapo College in December 2013 with a degree in Psychology. He finished with a cumulative grade point average of 4.00. “Kevin was accepted to seven medical schools,” reported Pre-Med Club advisor Dr. Rena Bacon.

Allison Gutworth

Allison Gutworth of Colonia, NJ is a Sociology major and an Information Technology Management minor. She completed the requirements of the Business Essentials Certificate. Allison is proud of her internship with the Woodbridge Township Department of Health and Human Services in which she drafted a federal grant, created informational brochures and compiled a list of resources for underserved populations. She said the internship allowed her to contribute to a purpose greater than myself. “Not only did I grow professionally, but I was able to interact with members of the community and better understand the populations within my area,” she added. Allison is a student research assistant in SSHS and compiled a database of over 150 journal articles on violence prevention and edited an international textbook. She is a member of Hillel, the Sociology & Criminology Club and the Residence Hall Association. Allison also serves on the College’s Judicial Board and off campus is a volunteer for the Girls Scouts of Northern Valley, the EOF Pen Pal Program in which she corresponds with a fifth grader and participates in an annual carnival for adults who are physically and mentally disabled. She has 4.00 grade point average.

Steven Wiltbank

Steven Wiltbank was elected Class Representative of the Class of 2013 in his freshman year. Now a junior, he is the president of the Student Government Association. Steven is majoring in Spanish Language Studies with a minor in Latin American Studies. He is also pursuing courses toward Teacher Certification in Spanish. “My honors independent research project will focus on effective ways of instruction in a foreign language, since learning a foreign language is very important in today’s globalized society,” he says. Steven has earned a 3.78 grade point average. He is from Belford, NJ.

Lisa Tordo

“While in Guam on a trip with the Ramapo Chorale last summer, my friend and I decided to start an a cappella group on campus,” says Lisa Tordo. “We established the group, arrange the music, schedule the events, perform, and manage a web page. The group sang at a national a cappella performance this January.” Lisa is also a section leader in the Ramapo Chorale and the vocal performance group Skylark. A Psychology major, Lisa volunteers at a pregnancy aide center near her hometown of Bridgewater, NJ and is a member of Golden Key International Honour Society. Lisa has earned a 3.83 grade point average.

Valeriya Kamenova

Valeriya Kamenova, an international student from Bulgaria, is majoring in International Studies with a minor in International Business. Her interest in the international arena was fueled by her grandfather’s remembrances of WWII and her parents’ recollections of the fall of the Communist regime in Bulgaria. Valeriya has made a commitment to promote human rights. She has devoted her time to several agencies in Bulgaria, including the Youth Red Cross, that are dedicated to helping children. “I believe that the proper combination of knowledge and action is an essential step of building human rights awareness on national, regional and international levels.” Valeriya, who has a 3.79 grade point average, plans to obtain a doctorate degree and promote international human rights in crisis areas on a global scale.

Megan Anderle

Megan Anderle of Wayne, NJ is a Contemporary Arts major. She has worked as a reporter for The Daily Record, a position that prepared her to serve as news editor and editor-in-chief of The Ramapo News. Megan says, “I hold myself to a high standard and take pride in the work of our editors and staff.” Megan redesigned the look of The Ramapo News and instituted writing guidelines which proved to be especially helpful to students who hadn’t written an article before. On campus, she’s a writing tutor, has served as a peer facilitator, is a member of the Student Government Association, the Student Leaders Coalition and the Constitutional Review Committee. Megan was named to Alpha Lambda Delta, the freshman honor society. She maintains a 3.89 grade point average.

Nicholas Licameli

Nicholas Licameli is a Biology major enrolled in Ramapo’s program that leads to the doctorate in Physical Therapy. He has earned a 3.90 grade point average. He has worked at a number of physical and sports therapy offices and at a gymnastics school. Nicholas is a student ambassador for the Ramapo Admissions Office. “As a student ambassador I gain practice dealing with people of all ages, which has prepared me for the field of physical therapy,” Nicholas says. “In my volunteer and employment hours at physical therapy facilities, I have noticed that the best physical therapists are the ones who have exceptional people skills.” Nicholas is from Nutley, NJ.

I am honored to receive this scholarship. It will encourage me to continue to work hard, be dedicated, and be a leader. I am so thankful to be awarded this scholarship. Lead, don’t follow. Be the voice, not the echo.

Danielle McCartan

Danielle McCartan of Dumont, NJ is majoring in Liberal Studies in the School of American and International Studies. To say she is immersed in Italian is an understatement. Among her achievements are representing Ramapo College at the National Italian American Foundation’s convention inWashington, DC, planning and organizing the Italian-American Club’s annual trip to the Metropolitan Opera, helping to organize the club’s Ristorante on the Piazza fund raising event and organizing speakers for club events. In addition, Danielle studied abroad in Urbino, Italy and developed an independent study in which she observes Italian classes at local area high schools each week. Danielle, who has a 3.79 grade point average, hopes to further enhance the field of Italian language education and to become an Italian teacher.

During this past year of economic hardship, the Becky and Frank Kraus Scholarship made my study abroad trip to Italy possible. As a future Italian teacher, this program was the most rewarding experience I could have possibly had and will greatly benefit me as I continue my education.

Tracey Pastorini

Senior Tracey Pastorini started as a volunteer in the Center for Student Success and now, four years later, works as an orientation leader for incoming freshmen. She is a peer facilitator and has been a student ambassador with the Admissions Office since her freshman year. “When not in the Center for Student Success office, running an Open House as an ambassador, or peering, I am actively involved on and off campus,” she says. Tracey is a member of the Class Council of 2011, Above the Influence Club and the Commuter Caucus, among others. Tracey is majoring in Business Administration/ Management, with a minor in Psychology. She is enrolled in the College Honors Program and has earned a 3.85 grade point average. Tracey is from theTownship of Washington, NJ.

Jennifer Mirro

Jennifer Mirro is from Wantage, New Jersey and has a 3.98 grade point average. She is a theater major concentrating in acting. Jennifer transferred to Ramapo from Sussex County Community College where she was vice president of the Student Government Association. At Ramapo Jennifer is president of Alpha Psi Omega, the theater honor society, and is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Colleges Against Cancer. She participated in two shows last year as an actress, Letters to a Student Revolutionary and One Touch ofVenus. She was nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship through the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. “I had the chance to go to Pittsburgh to participate in this festival with several other members of the theater department,” Jennifer says, “And it was a great opportunity for me as an actress.”

This scholarship is helping me cover my expenses for this semester. This has a direct affect on my future because I can save money for graduate school, which I plan to attend this fall, after graduating from Ramapo.

Harrison Gilbert

Harrison Gilbert is in his senior year at Ramapo and is double-majoring in economics and political science. For the past two years he has been the student coordinator for the American Democracy Project on campus. In this role he has designed activities and worked with faculty and other students to promote civic awareness and service learning experiences. In the summer of his sophomore year Harrison participated in a study abroad course in Tianjin, China, where he also taught English. He participated in a number of summer internships in his home state of Michigan, and currently works as an intern for Compensation Resources in Upper Saddle River. He is a member of the Ramapo Outdoors Club, and the United Asian Association. He has earned a 3.63 grade point average.

I received the Becky & Frank Kraus Scholarship. Frank Kraus was the former mayor of Mahwah when the college was founded and thus it is a leadership and academic excellence scholarship. I believe that Mrs. Kraus’ generosity has inspired me to be a leader with integrity at Ramapo College. Her generosity will continue to inspire me to try my hardest in everything I set myself to do now and after graduation.