Twelve outstanding college seniors who attend Connecticut State University System (CSUS) institutions have been honored by the Connecticut State University System Foundation for academic excellence and community service. The 12 students — who attend Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State universities — received Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Awards at the 23rd annual awards banquet held on May 11 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. They are:
Central Connecticut State University
• Mary-Jo Callaghan, Marlborough
• Rustan Javier Crespo, Cheshire
• Kathryn Lonczewski, South Windsor
• Lauren Marie Salvia, Lindenhurst, N.Y.
Eastern Connecticut State University
• Michelle Kaczynski, New Milford
• Connor Patros, Columbia
Southern Connecticut State University
• Samantha Benson, Harwinton
• Logan Lentz, Chambersburg, Penn.
• Raymond Nardella, Oakville
• Jennifer Lee Peterson, Canton
Western Connecticut State University
• Bryan Bielefeldt, Waterbury
• Emily Cole, Brookfield
To be considered for a Barnard Award, a student must have at least a 3.75 GPA, a record of significant community service, and be nominated by their respective universities and presidents. The CSUS Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports education and research within CSUS, the largest public university system in the state. Foundation President Robert J. Bourne described the students as “exceptional people” who were making a difference not only at their universities, but in their communities.
Major sponsors for the 23nd Annual Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Awards Banquet included CL&P and Yankee Gas – Northeast Utilities Companies, Otis Elevator, People’s United Bank, and David Carter and Sandra Holley. The award is named for Henry Barnard, Connecticut’s first superintendent of schools and principal of what later became Central Connecticut State University. Barnard was also the first U.S. Commissioner of Education.
The event’s keynote speaker was Chandler J. Howard, president and chief operating officer of Liberty Bank. In praising their achievement, Howard urged the students to never give up and to pay attention to life’s lessons. “Education and reputation matters,” Howard said. “It’s important to continue learning because learning never stops.”
Richard Balducci, vice chairman of the CSUS Board of Trustees, said the 12 students were “representative of the more than 36,000 extremely hard-working students who attend our four universities. Their success is our success. They demonstrate quite clearly that our universities are doing an outstanding job of educating and preparing the leaders and workers of tomorrow.”
For more information, visit www.csusystemfoundation.org. Profiles of students attached
Central Connecticut State University
Mary-Jo Callaghan of Marlborough is a sociology major at Central with a 3.75 GPA. During her tenure at CCSU, she received a grant to travel to Techiman, Ghana, where she worked in the Ayi Owen International School. She also received the Clinton Innovation Award Grant, is a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority, Alpha Kappa Delta Honors Society, CCSU Honors Program and is co-founder and treasurer of the Sociology Club. She was an intern at Jefferson Elementary School in New Britain where she tutored students in math and reading. She also worked with the Vermont Crisis Intervention Network, Girl Scouts and City Year Boston program teaching inner-city elementary students.
Rustan Javier Crespo of Cheshire is a mechanical engineering major and mathematics minor at Central with a 3.83 GPA. He has earned the 21st Century Diversity Scholarship, the Duffy Memorial Scholarship, and served as a member of the CCSU Formula SAE team. He informally tutors and assists other students, serving as a leader and role model for student projects, labs and technical student activities. He assists with engineering projects that provide technical exposure for CCSU and the School of Engineering and Technology on both local and national level.
Kathryn Lonczewski of South Windsor is a sociology major and communications minor at Central with a 3.94 GPA. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Delta Honors Society, president of the CCSU Sociology Club and a founding member of the CCSU Diversity Advocates. She worked as an intern for the Connecticut Association for Human Services, volunteered with the South Windsor Jaycees and worked as an AmeriCorps member in rebuilding the Upper 9th Ward of New Orleans. Lonczewski has presented her work at conferences and traveled to Kauai, Hawaii, as a member of CCSU’s Global Village Habitat forHumanity team.
Lauren Marie Salvia of Lindenhurst, N.Y. is an international business major and marketing minor at Central with a 3.78 GPA. She is a member of the National Scholars Honor Society, the Gold Key International Honor Society, Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society and was Student Athlete Advisory Committee treasurer. She was a member of the women’s NCAA Division I soccer team and received the Central Connecticut Athletic Academic Award and Northeast Conference Commissioners Award. She was named NSCAA Scholar Athlete All-Region and to the Northeast Conference Scholar Athlete All-Academic Team. She was an intern for both the Nussbaum Yates Berg Klein & Wolpow, LLP and Travelers Championship, and also volunteered for Special Olympics.
Eastern Connecticut State University
Michelle Marie Kaczynski of New Milford is a psychology major at Eastern with a 3.83 GPA. She is a member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society in Psychology and the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. She received the Jean H. Thoresen ECSU–AAUP Scholarship and ECSU Competitive Foundation and Academic Scholarship Award. She was a tutor, research assistant and peer mentor for Eastern’s First-Year Program and a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. She was a Windham Hospital intern and clinical psychology intern at New England Behavioral Health. She also presented at the Northeast Region Honors Council Conference and the 36th Annual Conference for the Association for Women in Psychology.
Connor Patros of Columbia is a psychology major at Eastern with a 3.63 GPA. He is a member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society and is a recipient of the Eastern Connecticut State University Foundation Competitive Scholarship, Thoresen Scholarship and the Eastern Connecticut State University Research/Creativity/Scholarly Activity Grant. He was a member of the Psychology Club and men’s track and baseball teams. He has held internships at Natchaug Hospital and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and is now an educational assistant at Natchaug Hospital working with young clients who have behavioral disorders. Patros has also presented his work at various local and national conferences.
Southern Connecticut State University
Samantha Benson of Harwinton is a communication and theater major at Southern with a 3.88 GPA. Her academic achievements include acceptance into the Honors College, Departmental Honors in Communication for her Honor’s Thesis work, “Evaluating the Management Practices of Arts Nonprofits in a Recession,” and she is a Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society member. She received Stage Management Honors from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and was president of the Crescent Players Theater Group. She has worked at the Ivoryton Playhouse Theater Company, Goodspeed Opera House, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, Hartford Stage Company and Lyman Center for the Performing Arts.
Logan Lentz of Chambersburg, Penn. is an exercise science major at Southern with a 3.94 GPA. She was a member of SCSU’s women’s basketball team, was team captain for the last three years and was named to the Northeast Conference Women’s Basketball Academic All-Conference Team. Lentz received the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award, the SCSU Women’s Basketball Team Academic Award and First Team All-Rookie Honors in the Northeast 10 Conference. Lentz is active in the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and Exercise Physiology Club and has served as a counselor and coach at elementary and high school basketball camps.
Raymond Nardella of Oakville is a political science major and communication minor at Southern with a 3.83 GPA. He is Class of 2011 president, College Republicans vice president and Pi Sigma Alpha co-president. He received the Highest GPA Award in SCSU’s Greek Life Community, was named Gamma Sigma Alpha Chartering Scholar and the Order of Omega Chartering Member. He is Academic Affairs chairperson for the Greek Life Council and Beta Mu Sigma Fraternity. Nardella was an SCSU Orientation Ambassador, First-Year Student Peer Mentor and is on SCSU’s President’s Advisory Committee. He was an SCSU Office of Judicial Affairs intern and volunteered at Waterbury Association for Retarded Citizens.
Jennifer Lee Peterson of Canton is an elementary education and psychology double major at Southern with a 3.78 GPA. She is an SCSU National Psi Chi Chapter member and received the J. LeRoy and Patricia F. Ward Endowment. She was SCSU’s women’s field hockey team captain and named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad. She received All-Academic Honors from the Field Hockey Coaches Association, the Academic Achievement Award from the Division II Athletic Directors Association and was named to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll. She is a camp counselor and senior swim director at Renbrook Summer Adventure and has volunteered for 18 nonprofit initiatives since 2007.
Western Connecticut State University
Bryan Bielefeldt of Waterbury is an art and graphic design major with a 3.82 GPA. His academic achievements earned him induction into Alpha Sigma Lambda, Pi Zeta Chapter. He also assisted in the establishment of WCSU’s Student Veterans Organization and served as student member of WCSU’s Veterans Task Force. At Western, he was co-host of the WXCI radio station morning show and worked as print and web graphic designer for WCSU’s Publications and Design Department. He has served as a sergeant in the United States Army and Connecticut National Guard. Mr. Bielefeldt is currently a designer/developer for DiGuiseppi Studios and owner of Typoglyphic Studios, a graphic and web design business.
Emily Cole of Brookfield is an English and American comparative literature major at Western with a 3.97 GPA. She is a WCSU Honors participant, received the Sodexo Scholarship, the Elizabeth Tulloch James Memorial Scholarship and Student Leadership Recognition Award. She is chapter president of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, an officer in Sigma Tau Delta and member of Pi Lambda Theta. She is co-president of the English Society and editor of the English Department’s online literary journal “Beyond the Margins.” She is a Student Government Association senator and legislative branch member. Cole is founder and treasurer of WCSU’s Golf Club, was a WCSU teaching assistant and organized food and book drives.
