E-mail this pagePlattsburgh State Salutes the Class of 2004
On Saturday, Dec. 11, SUNY Plattsburgh sent forth another group of graduates who are off to start the next step in their lives. Some will continue their education at institutions across the country while others will enter the workforce. We are proud of each and every one of them. The following are profiles of a few of our outstanding graduating seniors.
Anthony Malakian
Anthony is a journalism major
from Carmel, N.Y. Once he graduates, Malakian plans to work for a newspaper near his hometown. He currently writes for Boxing World, a national boxing magazine, and plans to continue after graduation.
Malakian says that although he has enjoyed his time at Plattsburgh State, he is excited to graduate.
"I like Plattsburgh State because being here has certainly turned my life around," he said. "However, I am looking forward to getting into the working world and earning a paycheck."
Malakian has been part of the Plattsburgh State student newspaper Cardinal Points for four semesters. He has served as a staff writer, opinions editor and managing editor. During his two semesters as managing editor, Cardinal Points was selected as an "All-American newspaper."
Malakian said that the professor who has had the most impact is Shawn Murphy, associate professor of journalism. He said, "Mr. Murphy has not only helped and guided me, he has also been a man that I am proud to have as a friend."
Jamie Leigh Billington
An elementary education major
(social studies), Jamie Billington is from Plattsburgh and will be graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. After graduation, Billington will return to SUNY Plattsburgh to work on a master's degree in literacy education.
As a local student, Billington said she has really enjoyed being part of the Plattsburgh State community.
"I have enjoyed attending classes at a school that has always been part of my community," she said. "I have appreciated the meaningful interaction with professors and peers."
Billington was the recipient of two awards for Outstanding Performance in Humanities, the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, the Joyce Papineau Scholarship and a Transfer Merit Scholarship. She is also a member of the Honors Program.
Kimone C. Joseph
Kimone Joseph came to Plattsburgh State from the Commonwealth of Dominica, and will be graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication
. She plans to study public relations at the graduate level next fall. She is currently an intern in the SUNY Plattsburgh Office of Public Relations.
"I am really excited about graduation," said Joseph. "I have enjoyed my time here tremendously, and I am eager to share what I have learned with the world."
Her favorite classes have been all the courses taught by Dr. Shakuntala Rao.
"Dr. Rao is just so amazing," she said. "Her classes have opened my eyes to many issues affecting our world. She gives her students a chance to discuss their views and to listen and understand the opinions of others."
Joseph has been very active on campus. She is a resident assistant in Wilson Hall, a student ambassador and is a member of Alpha Phi Sorority. She has served on the CAS Grant Committee and has been a teaching assistant for the communications department and Educational Opportunity Program.
Joseph has received numerous honors and awards at Plattsburgh State, including a presidential scholarship. She also received the Lawrence and Stasia Arcarese Scholarship, the Toni C. Bloom Memorial Award and the WVNY - ABC 22 Excellence in Mass Media Award.
Kimone is the treasurer of Lambda Pi Eta (national communications honors society) and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa and Sigma Tau Delta (national English honor society).
Jean Gay
Jean Gay is a graduating French major
originally from Haiti. He plans to go to graduate school to study French literature. Gay said SUNY Plattsburgh offered the perfect study atmosphere he needed to succeed.
"I found the atmosphere here very conducive to learning," he said. "I was able to do well because I felt relaxed and safe."
Gay said that although he is happy to graduate, he knows that this is only the beginning.
"It feels good to have come this far," he said. "Yet I know I have a long way to go since I also want to pursue a Ph.D."
Gay has been an active member of the French Club and has been on the Dean's List. He received the Foreign Language Academic Achievement Award last spring.
Daniela Paliderova
Daniela Paliderova is a political science major
and accounting minor
from Slovakia. Paliderova's plans for after graduation include working as a paralegal in New York City and starting law school next fall. Paliderova said she will never forget the time she spent at Plattsburgh State.
"I got the opportunity to participate in many organizations and to learn new things," she said. "Everything I have done has helped me to grow as a person, and that is the most important part of a college education."
Paliderova said she has enjoyed most of her classes at Plattsburgh State and she has high praise for the honors program. "I loved the honors seminars because they give students the opportunity to discuss topics in a smaller setting," she said. "The professors who teach these seminars are unique and they make students interested in listening to the opinions of others."
During her time at Plattsburgh State, Paliderova has been a resident assistant, a student ambassador, a senator, officio of academics and chief justice of appellate court for the Student Association. She served as the sophomore and junior representative of the Honor Student Association and is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honors society, and Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.
Perliter Walters
Perliter is from the Commonwealth of Dominica, and will be graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in international business
and Spanish.
After graduation, Walters hopes to pursue a master's degree in international marketing and become an international consultant. She said her time at Plattsburgh State has certainly made a lasting impression on her life.
"I was able to find a home here and to share my culture while I learned from others. Although I will miss Plattsburgh State, I am excited to take the skills I have learned here into the working world."
Walters has been very involved in the campus community. She works at the center for student health and psychological services. She has served as the vice chair of the Academic Affairs Board and is a member of the Student Advisory Council of the School of Business and Economics, the International Student Advisory Board and she is the treasurer of the Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir.
She has received numerous awards including the Giltz Family International Award to Study Abroad in Mexico, the Roger Merriam Scholarship, the Douglas and Jennifer Sloan Scholarship and the Redcay Honors Scholarship.
She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma.
Michelle Schonzeit
Michelle Schonzeit is an individualized studies major from Plattsburgh.
Her self-designed major encompassed program content from the Adirondack Experience Program and environmental science department.
During her studies, Schonzeit interned with the National Park Service in Yosemite and Olympic National Parks. This experience led to a summer job at Grand Teton National Park in a program that recruits career-bound National Park Service employees.
After she graduates, Schonzeit will head to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon to begin her career as a law enforcement ranger.
According to Schonzeit, the last four years at Plattsburgh State have been a wonderful experience. "I have made some lifelong friends, and I have gained knowledge that will enable me to excel in my career," she said.
This past year, Schonzeit has been working on a research/thesis project titled, "Risk Mitigation in Mountain Rescue Operations." She has examined national current standards for risk mitigation in rescue work along with specific case studies of accidents during operations. From this she created new safety standard proposals for the field. Schonzeit hopes to continue her research and publish further findings.
Ron Tucker
Ron is an earth and environmental science
major from Queensbury, N.Y. Tucker hopes to attend the University of Maine for graduate school.
Tucker's favorite professor at Plattsburgh State has been Dr. Ken Adams, distinguished teaching professor of earth and environmental science.
"Dr. Adams has been the most influential person in my academic career to date," he said. "He is overly intelligent, but extremely humble. He is easygoing, and I have never seen a student get under his skin."
Tucker has participated in several research projects during his time here. "I have participated in NSF funded research projects. This semester, I was awarded the Schmid Scholarship," Tucker said. "My first project involved studying riparian ecosystem at Miner Institute. This winter, I will be looking at managed and unmanaged watersheds in the Adirondacks."
He is currently wrapping up an independent study on tree regeneration in a disturbed forest using shading as a variable.