Academic Opportunity Experience (AOE) Celebrates Students’ Successes

On April 19, the Academic Opportunity Experience (AOE) recognized students for their successes throughout the academic year and celebrated AOE graduates. The AOE Celebration Dinner and Awards Ceremony featured opening remarks by Dr. Shai L. Butler, vice president for student success and engagement and chief diversity officer, senior speaker Maybelline Arce-Amaya, select AOE students, and graduates of the program. Award recipients shared their stories and spoke about their academic journeys at Saint Rose.

The AOE program at Saint Rose is a support services program designed to admit first-year students who demonstrate a high potential for success but do not meet the College’s general admission criteria. The program provides academic and emotional support throughout the students’ careers.

Awards & Recipients:

• Sister Elizabeth Varley Award: The Sister Elizabeth Varley Award is given to graduating AOE seniors who in their undergraduate careers exemplify the goals and missions of AOE at The College of Saint Rose. This award is given in honor of Sister Elizabeth Varley, a professor emerita of the English Department, for her commitment to students and her love of learning, and in recognition of the Saint Rose faculty and their on-going support of the mission of AOE. Award recipient: Maybelline Arce-Amaya
• Saint Rose of Lima Award: The Saint Rose of Lima Award is given to graduating seniors who have positively utilized the academic supportive services of the AOE Program to help them achieve academic and personal success. These seniors have demonstrated a commitment to their academic goals and success and have persevered through many challenges, growing into exceptional individuals who are now graduating. Award recipients: Maybelline Arce-Amaya, Jordan Gwynn, Rocio Perez, and Cindy Gonzalez
• Virginia Wood: Friend of the Program Award: This award is given to a first-year student who is able to engage others so that they cross economic, cultural, and gender lines, representing AOE to the College in a special way. Award recipient: Claudia Morales
• AOE Ambassador Award: This award is presented to our AOE Ambassadors for their support and assistance through the academic year with events, programming, AOE Information Days, and much more. Award recipients: Emily Cabrera, Syndey Nicholas, and Abdulai Mohamed
• Program Appreciation Award: This award is given to students who support the efforts of AOE by volunteering on one or several occasions. Award recipients: Maybelline Arce-Amaya, Emily Cabrera, Jordan Gwynn, and Kayla Pineda

Congratulations to the following 2018 AOE graduates:

• John Acevedo
• Daniel Adjei Jr.
• Diego Altamirano
• Jonathan Aponte
• Maybelline Arce-Amaya
• Sarah Barhold
• Thomas Conlon
• Christopher Connolly
• Ahmed Diarra
• Alex Dienst
• Nicholas Echenique
• Victoria Foley
• Cindy Gonzalez
• Jamaal Greenwood
• Jordan Gwynn
• Kaila Hall
• Roxana Hernandez
• David Johnson
• Katherine Kambrich
• Karlie Keuroghlian
• Michael Lopez
• Elizabeth Mather
• Kaylynn Mendoza
• Sydney Nicholas
• Terrell Parker
• Theodore Pearce
• Rocio Perez
• Brian Pesavento
• Taylor Prince
• Mia Quinones
• Michael Shine
• Donovan Smith
• Marc Troche