On Thursday, May 12th, New York University will hold its 173rd Commencement Exercises. Below are some interesting student stories from the class of 2005. Please contact Christopher James at 212.998.6876 or christopher.james@nyu.edu if you are interested in profiling any of these graduates.
SCPS Student Aspires to Give Back to His Latino Community
Robert J. Rivera will graduate from the School for Continuing and Professional Studies’ (SCPS) Paul McGhee Division, the undergraduate program for adult students, with a BA in sociology. Rivera will continue his education at Harvard Divinity School on a scholarship in the fall. Rivera dropped out of high school when he was sixteen. Armed with a GED and some previous college experience, Rivera enrolled in SCPS in 2000. He hopes to earn a Ph.D. in religion and teach. Rivera wants to give back to the Latino/a immigrant community in NYC that shared faith with him and nurtured him in faith. He feels privileged to have studied at institutions like NYU, and in the fall, Harvard. He sees it as his responsibility to give back by teaching and struggling with this community for justice.
Steinhardt Student to Practice OT at the Board of Ed
Heather Hickein will graduate from NYU Steinhardt School of Education with a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Hickein will receive the Samuel Eshborn Award for service and leadership at Steinhardt’s Valedictory Ceremony. Prior to coming to NYU, Hickein worked for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. While studying, she completed nine months of fieldwork at Columbia Presybeterian Hospital in acute rehab and at Children’s Hospital of New York in pediatrics, working with severely mentally retarded children. And, at NYU Mt. Sinai’s Hospital for Joint Diseases, she helped create and implement treatment plans for patients with orthopedic and neurological deficits. After graduation she will work for the New York City Board of Education as a certified occupational therapist.
CAS Valedictorian Pamela Tadross Excels in Both the Arts and Sciences
Pamela Tadross will graduate from the College of Arts and Science (CAS) with a major in chemistry and a minor in Latin and classical civilization. Tadross is the valedictorian for CAS’s class of 2005 and will also be the student speaker at today’s University Commencement ceremony. A native and resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Tadross is already a published scientist, having co-authored a study on hydrogen bonding that appeared in the journal Inorganic Chemistry.
Charles Booth Proves It’s Never too Late for a Ph.D.
Charles Booth, 72, will receive his doctorate in history from the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS). Booth spent nearly 20 years as the chief investment officer of the Bank of New York, where he developed investment strategies for both equity and fixed income. But in 1993, he took early retirement, intent on pursuing a doctorate in history. Booth obtained his law degree from Harvard in 1960 and a bachelor’s degree from there in 1956.
Ingrid Edwards, Former Broadway Star to Graduate from SCPS
Ingrid Edwards, 80, will graduate from the School for Continuing and Professional Studies’ (SCPS) Paul McGhee Division, the undergraduate program for adult students, with a degree in art history. When “Kiss Me Kate” opened on Broadway’s New Century Theater on Dec. 30, 1948, Edwards was one of the cast members. Now, more than 56 years later, Edwards is finally getting her bachelors degree. Edwards’ late husband, Sherman Edwards, was a popular song writer. He wrote both the music and lyrics to the 1969 musical, “1776,” which won a Tony Award for Best Musical.
TSOA Student to Facilitate Performances of Traditional Rwandan Folk Tales
Judd Hardy will graduate with a B.A, in drama and Africana studies from the Tisch School of the Arts and College of Arts and Science. After graduation, Hardy will lead a team in the Rwanda Folk Tale Project, working in partnership with faculty and drama students at the National University of Rwanda. Hardy will use the folk tales from Nyamiyaga, a village in southern Rwanda, as a way to help facilitate peace and reconciliation in the county. In 2003, he took a year off from his studies to be the on-site coordinator for the East African Center for the Empowerment of Women and Children in Kenya. He was also the featured speaker at the Second International Conference on Genocide, held in 2004 at California State University Sacramento.
Gallatin Student Enjoys the Fruits of His Concentration
Scott Rosenbaum will graduate from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. He has quickly found a career calling in the wine industry. In his senior year, Rosenbaum earned an advanced certificate from New York’s International Wine Center, which trains both industry professionals and novices. He so enjoyed the experience, and so impressed the center’s management, that in February he became its full-time director of operations.
Steinhardt Artist Already Exhibiting Her Work Around the World
Graciela Fuentes will graduate from the Steinhardt School’s Art and Art Professions Program with a masters in studio art. Specializing in photography and video art, Fuentes is a grant recipient from the National Council for the Arts (CONACULTA) in Mexico. In 2004, she won first prize at the Encuentro Nacional de Arte Joven (National Encounter of Young Art), a juried exhibition in Mexico. Fuentes’ work has also been shown in solo exhibitions at the Museo de las Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Galeria Sala Maior in Oporto, Portugal; and Praxis Gallery in Mexico City.