Lehman College students received an institutional record number of top awards and honors this year.

"The awards, honors, and recognitions bestowed on our students this semester are a fitting reflection of their commitment to academic excellence, as well as of their aspirations, persistence and proficiencies," said Peter O. Nwosu, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs and student success at Lehman. "Now venturing far beyond where many believed they would ever venture, these are students who fully understand that hard work bears rewards and ignites new possibilities. They deserve our congratulations, along with our gratitude for contributing to a culture of success and meaningful personal development and engagement here on the campus."

Sally Cabrera received the first National Boren Scholarship Award in Lehman’s history. After graduating from Lehman this May with a B.S. in interdisciplinary sciences (Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry), she will travel to Japan for Japanese language immersion.

"Coming from a low-income background, I could not afford to travel and study abroad on my own, so these scholarships give me an incredible opportunity to broaden my horizons," said Cabrera, a Manhattan resident.

Michelle Augustine, director of Lehman's Office of Prestigious Awards, said the key to garnering fellowships and scholarships for students was having them apply for as wide a cross-section of awards as possible.

"We work with the students where they are, and then help identify where they want to be," said Augustine. "By instilling confidence in students, we help them manage their expectations, and also work up to bigger awards and recognitions from the smaller ones."

Since 2015 Lehman has had five winners of the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, which grants three years of summer internship to first or second year students from 12 New York City partner colleges. This year’s two winners are Rene Clever, B.S. Computer Science, from Brooklyn; and Sumana Ali, B.A. Philosophy, a Queens resident.

The four Lehman students awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program fellowships are:

• Amna Azeem, B.A. Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Queens
• Edith Carrasco, B.A. Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Bronx
• Stefanie Noll Gaspar, B.A. Latin American and Caribbean Studies, White Plains, New York
• Konrad Wysocki, M.A. Biology, West Hempstead, New York

Lehman’s nine National Science Foundation REU fellowship winners are:

• Emeka Mbazor, B.S. Computer Science, Bronx
• Rene Clever, B.S. Computer Science, Brooklyn
• Beauty Kolade, B.S. Chemistry, Bronx
• Anapatricia Olvera Medina, B.A. Computer Science and Math, Yonkers, New York
• Rawan Aldasooky, B.S. Chemistry, Yonkers
• Anthony Illescas, Undecided, Bronx
• Vladyslav Bodnar, B.S. Chemistry, White Plains
• Mohamed Magassa, B.S. Chemistry, Bronx
• Desteny Ventura, B.S. Biology, Bronx

The students accepted into the Summer Health Professions Education Program, which is run by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, are:

• Abanoub Hanna, B.S. Chemistry, Brooklyn
• Lorenso Rios, Undecided, Bronx

Three students were accepted into the National Institute of Health Summer Internship Program:

• Ezekiel Olumuyide, B.S. Chemistry, Bronx
• Sheavonne Wright, B.S. Chemistry, Bronx
• Deborah Ofosu

Also, Pretivia Persaud, B.A. Business Administration and Sociology, a Bronx resident, was accepted into KPMG’s Streetwise Partners summer program.

Antonio Fernandes, B.A. Multimedia Performing Arts, from Brooklyn, and Ayesha Alam, B.A. Speech Pathology and Audiology, from the Bronx, are the two Lehman awardees of the Council of International Education Exchange Scholarship for summer study in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Fernandes is also one of the college’s 11 winners of Gilman Scholarship for summer study abroad. The other Gilman Scholarship winners are:

• Anika Joseph, B.A. Psychology, Westchester County, New York
• Arlue Cepeda, B.B.A. Business Administration, Bronx
• Venessia Cruz, B.A. Psychology, Bronx
• Ashley Lum, B.A. History, Brooklyn
• Bolanle Olatunji, B.S. Health Science Administration, Bronx
• Jessica Ramos, B.A. Sociology, Mount Vernon, New York
• Mariama Barry, B.B.A. Business Administration, Bronx
• Tenzin Sangoma, B.S. Biology, Queens
• Tatiana Pinheiro, B.A. Film and TV Studies, Port Chester, New York
• Sonya Wong, B.S. Dietetics, Food, and Nutrition, Manhattan

The 20 Lehman winners of the Chancellor’s Global Scholarship, awarded by The City University of New York for summer study abroad, are:

• Jennifer Barth, B.B.A. Business Administration, Bronx
• Felicia Basdeo, B.B.A. Business Administration, Westchester County
• Diagna Camilo, B.A. Journalism, Bronx
• Venessia Cruz, B.A. Psychology, Bronx
• Wingni Eugenio, B.S. Accounting and Psychology, Bronx
• April Fielder, B.S. Recreation Education and Exercise Science, Flint, Michigan
• Patryce Grant, B.A. Social Work, Mount Vernon
• Ashley Lum, B.A. History, Brooklyn
• Amanda Mendez, B.A. History, Bronx
• Aya Mercer, B.A. Anthropology, Bronx
• Rehnooma Momo, B.A. English, Queens
• Blessing Okoroji, B.A. Sociology, Bronx
• Bolanle Olatunji, B.S. Health Science Administration, Bronx
• Anapatricia Olivera Medina, B.A. Computer Science and Math, Yonkers
• Corina Portes, B.A. History, French, and Political Science, Manhattan
• Kimberly Ramirez, B.A. Earth Science, Bronx
• Julio Cesar Salcedo Portorreal, B.S. Dietetics, Food, and Nutrition, Bronx
• Tasnia Syed, B.S. Dietetics, Food, and Nutrition, Bronx
• José Toribio, B.S. Computer Science, Manhattan
• Sonya Wong, B.S. Dietetics, Food, and Nutrition, Manhattan

At the college’s Honors Convocation, held on May 28, a number of students were recognized for their distinguished academic achievements. Top awards were given to:

• Kassandra Alarcorn, B.F.A. Studio Art, Bronx, and Edruce Edouarzin, B.S. Chemistry, Manhattan, for Outstanding Undergraduate Research Excellence
• Thomas Goodwin, M.S. Geographic Information Sciences, Cooperstown, New York, for Outstanding Graduate Thesis/Project
• Justina Kasteri, B.S. Biology, Bronx, for Excellence in Leadership and Service
• Stefanie Nolli Gaspar, B.A. Latin American and Caribbean Studies, White Plains, for Excellence in Global Engagement

Also, 12 students were commended at the Honors Convocation for Outstanding Achievement—a perfect 4.0 grade point average through the course of undergraduate study:

• Fares Abdulla, B.S. Nursing, Yonkers
• Michael D. Akers, B.S. Dietetics, Food, and Nutrition, Manhattan
• Noranyi N. Brito Frometa, B.S. Computer Science, Bronx
• Arisleydi Cepeda Holguin, B.A. Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Bronx
• Besmira Gjyriqi, B. A. Sociology, Mamaroneck, New York
• Hahn N. Hoang, B.S. Computer Science, Manhattan
• Erden Mernica, B.A. Nursing, Mitrovica, Kosovo
• Regiane Ocampo, B.F.A. Ceramics, Bronx
• Myan D. Sebastien, B.F.A. Multimedia Performing Arts, Bronx
• Ann-Kristin Vishinsky, B.A. Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Harrison, New York
• Susan Daniels, B.A. Social Work, Scarsdale, New York
• Jasmine H. Kim, B.A. English, Palisades Park, New Jersey

Congratulations to these exceptional Lehman students on their achievements.