You are here: Home Communications Pressroom News Hunter’s Student Veterans Receive High Honors

Hunter’s Student Veterans Receive High Honors

Hunter’s Student Veterans Receive High Honors

Top row: Alex Rosero, Yan Chen, Ashlee Torres, Sevasti Boutos, Marty Martineau; Bottom row: Kyle Winslow and Shannone Cesar

On November 5, in the Great Hall of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, CUNY paid tribute to an outstanding group of students, including a large contingent from Hunter. The occasion was a young but hallowed tradition: the Student Veterans Academic Awards Breakfast. First presented in 2013, this CUNY award recognizes veterans and veterans' dependents who have reached a high level of academic achievement - including a GPA of at least 3.5 - and who will be eligible to graduate next semester.

The 2015 ceremony honored 14 Hunter students: Evan Attmore, Shannone Cesar, Jermaine Chambers, Yan Chen, Joshua Conner, Louis Gaudio, Jin Shan Jin, John Nuzzela, Jahvon Ross, Joseph Romulo, Ashlee Torres, Xiaolong Wang, Kyle Winslow and Susan Young. For these honorees, there was no easy or peaceful path from high school to college; life quickly demanded courage and sacrifice.

Shannone Cesar, who served in the military as a hospital corpsman, is now pursuing a double major in psychology and sociology. She plans to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology, with a specialty in child and family therapy, and become a practicing clinician and researcher. Cesar recently completed a one-year internship, assisting children with special needs in an after-school program at Brooklyn's Shorefront YM-YWHA.

John Nuzzela, now a second lieutenant in the New York National Guard, enlisted in the Army in 2012 and served in Afghanistan the following year. After earning his bachelor's degree, he chose Hunter for graduate studies in childhood special education.

Kyle Winslow joined the Navy after high school, and served on the USS Frank Cable in Guam. Currently a Hunter senior majoring in geography, he plans to follow graduation with master's studies in geographic information science. After that, he says, "I hope to work for or alongside the National Forest Service to preserve habitats and watersheds via strategic mapping."

Yan Chen was born and raised in Canton, China. She and her family came to the U.S. in 2007, and she went on to receive a BA in business before completing four years of active duty in the Marine Corps. At Hunter, a GPA of 4.0 has won her a spot on the Dean's List as she pursues her nursing degree.

During breakfast on the Intrepid, the honorees heard from a number of dignitaries, including Loree Sutton, a retired brigadier general who is commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs; Douglas Wilson, a former assistant secretary of defense; and Paulette Dalpes of the CUNY Chancellor's Office. Time was also set aside for a career networking session, at which the students met representatives of major companies and government agencies.

Earlier this fall, Hunter was recognized for its success in providing veterans not only with a superior education, but also with financial aid and other vital support. This recognition came from Military Advanced Education & Transition, a publication that helps present and former service members make good educational choices. Following a nationwide survey, MAE&T named Hunter a TOP SCHOOL in its 2016 guide to colleges and universities.

Document Actions
HUNTER COLLEGE
695 Park Ave
NY, NY 10065
212.772.4000