Dominic Notoris

Dominic Notoris of Suffern, N.Y. is a Visual Arts major with a focus in Digital Art & Animation. He has a 3.8 GPA. Off-campus Dominic is a volunteer at New Destiny Family Success Center, Inc.

“Something that I am proud of is that I once published a film that was chosen for a film festival,” says Dominic. After graduation he plans to take the necessary steps to become a teacher.

Denean Ritchie

“After graduating, I intend to continue working with my community by sharing art and my love of the earth every step along the way,” says Denean Ritchie. 

An EOF student from Washington, N.J., Denean is majoring in Visual Arts with concentrations in Sculpture and Drawing & Painting. They are proud to be back to studying for their senior year at Ramapo after a gap year. 

At Ramapo, he has been active in several organizations and activities such as 1STEP Club and their on campus job as a Studio Technician. “It’s a great joy to help during metal casting events and ceramic firings for all levels of classes at the Sculpture Studio,” Denean says.

Off campus, for the past four summers, Denean has worked with Eden Village Camp as an Art and Primitive Skills Specialist, where they teach ceramic clay building, herb dyeing, yarn spinning, weaving, printing, whittling, rope making and other earth based creation techniques and skills. 

Andrew LaMonica

Andrew William LaMonica of Sayreville, N.J. is a sophomore Visual Arts major. His focus is in Sculpture, and he also has a minor in Philosophy. He has a 3.72 GPA and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.

Andrew works as a Student Aide for the sculpture studio and the Berrie Center’s art galleries. In 2019, he participated in the Buffalo State Fall Iron Pour alongside a small group of Ramapo faculty, students and alumni. 

Off-campus, he volunteers at the Saint John’s Soup Kitchen in Newark, N.J. through a local social organization.

Paige Colditz

“I am especially proud of the mental and spiritual growth I have experienced during my undergraduate academic career. It has been a long journey, but I am proud of the person I have become, and for that, I am most grateful,” says Paige Colditz. A resident of Williamston, N.C., Paige is a Visual Arts major concentrating in Sculpture.

She recently took part in a summer study abroad program, Cuba: Revolution + Evolution. Paige aims to inspire others through her artwork, hoping that they’ll believe in their own ability to become forces for good.

She has a 3.0 GPA.

Sela Stazzone

“I enjoy promoting literacy through graphic novels and supporting local artists and writers in the comic industry,” says Sela Stazzone, a Visual Arts major with a concentration in Electronic Art and Animation. She has a 3.8 GPA, is on the Dean’s List and is member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. She plans on working in the animation industry, specializing in either 3D or stop-motion animation. She would also like to teach animation and computer arts at the high school level.

At Ramapo, Sela works in the 3D Printing Studio as a printing assistant. Off-campus, she volunteers at the Hunterdon Art Museum, where she assists art workshops and is a counselor for the summer camps. She also is the lead volunteer for the Annual Phillipsburg High School Comic Convention.

She is from Phillipsburg, N.J.

William Prtune

William Prtune of Wanaque, N.J. is a Visual Arts major with concentration in Sculpture. He has a 3.0 GPA.

Denean Ritchie

Denean Ritchie of Washington, N.J. is a Visual Arts major with a double concentration in Sculpture and Drawing/Painting. She has a 3.0 GPA and is a first generation EOF Scholar. At Ramapo, Denean is the treasurer and event coordinator of the Mindfulness Club and a member of the Visual Artist’s Society. She has been a Studio Technician at the Ramapo Sculpture Studio since her second semester at Ramapo.

Denean has also been involved in off –campus activities, including The Musconetcong Watercolor Group and the Washington Borough Farmers Market where she volunteers as a face painter.

Alissa Rose Paulison

Alissa Rose Paulison of Wayne, NJ, is currently completing her junior year with a double major in Visual Arts and Psychology and a double concentration in drawing/painting and sculpture. She has a 3.9 GPA and has consistently maintained Dean’s List status since her freshman year. Based on her academic standing, Alissa presently serves as Vice President of the Psi Chi Honor Society.

At Ramapo, Alissa serves as treasurer of the Psychology Coalition. Additionally, Alissa works as a studio technician in the Ramapo sculpture studio and as a gallery monitor at the Berrie Center.

Her off-campus activities include volunteering at The Alpine Learning Group. In this setting she actively participates with the social skills training of young individuals.

Upon learning of her scholarship, Alissa wrote, “Developing my own artwork and introducing the therapeutic qualities of art to the public is my ultimate goal.”

Sarah McGraw

Sarah McGraw of Mahwah, NJ is a Visual Arts major with a triple concentration in Drawing & Painting, Sculpture, and 3D Animation. She has a 3.8 grade point average and has maintained status on Dean’s List for all academic semesters.

Recently, Sarah began working as a studio technician at the Ramapo College Sculpture Studio.

She recently interned with the Newark nonprofit art gallery, Gallery Aferro and held an apprenticeship with a master papermaker from Rutgers University.

Annmarie Paskovich

“On campus I work as the Studio Assistant at the Sculpture Studios and volunteer at the Galleries in the Berrie Center,” said Annmarie Paskovich. Annmarie is a Visual Arts major with concentrations in Sculpture, Drawing and Painting. Her hometown is Woodbridge, NJ. “Receiving this scholarship has made a huge difference in what I am capable of producing. It has inspired me to keep my head down, work hard, and grow as a working artist,” Annmarie added. The senior plans to continue her art practice in graduate school to earn a master’s degree in sculpture.

Jennifer Morrison

Professor of Art Jay Wholley said Jennifer Morrison has traveled to the International Iron Conference at the Sloss Museum in Birmingham, AL. Jennifer received the Visual Arts highest honor by having her ceramic sculpture voted “Best in Thesis Show” by the Visual Arts faculty. Her work in the show was a highly complex ceramic installation that required hundreds of hours to bring to fruition. Jennifer has a 3.63 grade point average.

Jack Nagano

Jack Nagano is a Social Science major who previously attended the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Hunter College. Jack has earned a 3.97 grade point average, and will earn his bachelor’s degree in May. He has applied to Fordham University where he plans to attend law school after graduation.

Beth Grundfest

Beth Grundfest is a returning adult student from Spring Valley, NY majoring in Environmental Studies. She attended SUNY New Paltz and Rockland Community College before enrolling at Ramapo this year. “When I first met Beth she struck me as an eager student ready to earn her degree in the field of her interest, although she had worked in social services,” says Sanna Lemmetti in the Degree Completion Program office. “She is a determined student set on getting her degree.”

N.Wayne Harper

N.Wayne Harper of Garfield, NJ, a junior, is a Social Work major. He has distinguished himself as coordinator of Ramapo Readers, a project of the SocialWork Club, which promotes literacy one book at a time by collecting books and distributing them to schools serving the K-12 population and social service agencies in New Jersey. Wayne has increased membership in Ramapo Readers and enlisted the support of other Ramapo clubs. He oversees the sorting, boxing and delivery of books and has met with donors and students and teachers at the schools involved. With Wayne’s leadership, Ramapo Readers has distributed more than 30,000 books to nine schools in Paterson, NJ.

Joseph Shingelo

Joseph Shingelo of Ridgewood, New Jersey, is double majoring in History and Sculpture and has a GPA of 3.8.

Joseph has always loved the arts but initially only planned to pursue a History degree at Ramapo. In spring 2023, he studied abroad in Rome and took a drawing class as a free elective. That experience inspired him to pursue an Art major at Ramapo. Since then, Joseph has enthusiastically enrolled in Basic Sculpture and Ceramics, where he fully realized his passion for sculpture.

Joseph also works as a student aid at the sculpture studios and plans to pursue a career in Art Education once he graduates.