TOMS RIVER, NJ – Ocean County College presented awards totaling over $83,000 to graduating students at its 56th Annual Awards Ceremony, held on May 24 in The Grunin Center for the Arts on the College’s main campus. The annual ceremony, part of OCC’s Commencement Week activities, was sponsored by the office of Student Life and the Ocean County College Foundation.
“This program honors and celebrates our most deserving graduating students with the awards and scholarships that are generously donated from both within the OCC community and beyond, thanks to the support of our community partners and the generosity of our donors through the OCC Foundation,” said Jennifer Fazio, OCC’s director of Student Life. “We would like to thank all of you for your continued support of our students.”
In addition to student awards, OCC also recognized three faculty members for excellence in teaching: Lynn Vazquez, Associate Professor of Mathematics (Full-Time Faculty Award); Robert Marchie, College Lecturer II, History (Professional Educator Award); and Jeffrey McWeeney, Adjunct Professor of Business (Adjunct Faculty Award).
The 2023 Student Awards recipients are:
- Charles Read Memorial Music Scholarship: Jorrel Kimball
- Who’s Who Among Students at Ocean County College: Victoria Bolles, Samantha Bradach, Eric Bras, Nicholas Bushell, Amanda Cantillon, Casey Conner, Wesley Deitch, William Duffy, Blake Ferraro, Autumn Freestone, Dominic Grandilli, Joshua Kline, Shawn Kret, Seth Lopez, Alexa Maugeri, Tosh Mrazek, Katelyn Reilly, Julieann Wattley, Michael Zonsa
- Viking Athletics Commitment Award: Nicholas Bushell
- Mary T. McGivern Scholarship: Julianna Cofinas
- Armando Quiroz Award: Nancy Natividad-Cruz
- Christopher W. Mannion Scholarship: Matthew O’Donnell
- Graham Preston Scholarship: Julieann Wattley
- Patrick Carroll Award: Joshua Kline
- Allan Peter Furrevig Scholarship: Gianna Picioccio
- The Botein Family Scholarship: Sarahelena Marrapodi
- Jennie Horne Cece Award: Sandra Arias
- John Morrison Memorial Scholarship: Jorrel Kimball
- Judith A. Laurie Memorial Award: Elisabeth Rojas
- Meals on Wheels of Ocean County: Casey Conner
- Operation Ocean Hero Scholarship: Emily Jackson
- Probation Officer Todd Benintente Scholarship: Caitlin Kisielius
- Richard M. Trimble Scholarship: Michael Zonsa
- Associated Students of Ocean County College Award: Seth Lopez, William Duffy, Autumn Freestone, Alexa Maugeri
- International Award: Marwan Nasef, Nourhan Elhamzawy, Nour Ibrahim, Mariam Elsayed, Adelrahman Soliman
- Joseph Hathaway Commencement Speaker Award: Casey Conner
- Julie Foukarakis Memorial Award: Katelyn Reilly
- Albert Socol Memorial Scholarship: Erika Perez-Santos
- Donald W. Smith Scholarship: Julianna Cofinas, Kimberly Martinez-Alvarez
- Faculty Association of Ocean County College: Shauna McCahill
- James Inman Award: Casey Conner
- Janet Thompson Memorial Award: Brandi Walls
- Joan M. Kenneally and William J. Kenneally Scholarship: Jorrel Kimball
- Michael D. Vena Memorial MUAA Scholarship: Brian Gisinger, Jonah Visone
- Norcia Aspiring Attorney Award: Sarahelena Marrapodi
- Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Art Award: Kaila McEwan
- Ocean County College Adjunct Award: Dean Galfo, Cole Hannen, Kevin Lelinho, Lauren Buchter
- Pauline S. Miller History Award: Michael Zonsa
- Phi Theta Kappa Award: Brooke Doering
- Phi Theta Kappa Outstanding Service Award: William Duffy
- Renewal Carleen Sterling Orsi Memorial Award: Aysha Diawara, Tristan Basile
- Stephen A. Kubow Memorial Scholarship: Julianna Cofinas
- Joyce Previte Memorial Scholarship: Dana Lozito
- Math Club Award: Ty Gibson
- Paul Family Scholarship: Jessica Nagan
- Soroptimist Club of Toms River Scholarship: Emily Jackson
- Soroptimist Sigma Award: Victoria Bolles
- Alfred and Barbara Longo Graduating Scholarship: Tosh Mrazek
- Andrew T. Baran Scholarship: Gavin Donnelly
- Carleen Sterling Orsi Memorial Award: Nicole Randazzo, Arly Solano
- Douglas C. King Memorial Award: Sophia Jehnke
- Honors by Contract Presentation Award: Daniel Bagsic, Nancy Natvidad-Cruz, Chaim Trop, Amanda DeBartolo, Tyler Dunn, Meaghan French, Dominic Grandilli, Hannah Murray, Estefania Sampayo, Rose Zahler, Michael Zonsa, Bernice Amankwah
- Joseph J. Quattrock Memorial Scholarship: Liam Kelly
- LaVerne D. and Robert R. Weigold Memorial Scholarship: Leonardo Rios
- Ocean County Sheriff’s Foundation: Madyson Pellegrino
- Ocean County Society of Professional Engineers: Erika Perez-Santos
- President’s Leadership Team Scholarship: Caryn Powell, Sandra Arias
- Robert Novins Memorial Graduate Award: Arseniy Shafran
- Sheldon Linz Memorial Award: Yash Patel
- Ocean County College Board of Trustees Award: Samantha Bradach, Eric Bras, Holly Jennings, Natalie Torres
- D’Onofrio Foundation Graduating Award: Elizabeth Malecki
- D’Onofrio Foundation Business Administration Award: Gianna Picioccio
- Dollie and Harry David Sussna Scholarship: Lashawn Jackson, Melanie Lockwood,
- Ellison O’Grady, Sierra Emmett
- William T. Hiering Scholarship: Brooke Doering
- Philip G. Zitelli Scholarship in Leadership: Bernice Amankwah
- Roberta W. Wintrode Memorial Award: Danielle Carpenter, Amanda Cantillon