Meet the 2017 Commencement student speakers
Eleven students to speak at Binghamton Commencement ceremonies
Eleven students have been selected to represent their fellow graduates as speakers at Commencement ceremonies being held in the Events Center throughout Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21. They all have amazing résumés so we’ve quickly listed their accomplishments, but here’s a brief look at why they chose Binghamton and what’s next for them after Commencement:
Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science
8 a.m. Saturday, May 20
Stephanie Tsalwa
BS in biomedical engineering
Biomedical engineering research assistant; resident assistant; undergraduate course assistant; orientation advisor; member and officer of Alpha Omega Epsilon Professional Engineering Society, National Society of Black Engineers and Uyai Nnua, an African dance ensemble
A native of Kenya, but raised mainly in Botswana, Stephanie Tsalwa comes from a family that values education. Her father was educated in Canada and the U.S., and her mother attended college in Florida. Binghamton University was not even on her radar, but she applied to a number of schools in the United States, and Binghamton was the first to respond.
“The more I looked, the more I liked the opportunities that Binghamton had to offer,” Tsalwa said. “My plan was to do the pre-med and track, but after my freshman engineering project, I really enjoyed the concept of using engineering to bring ideas to life. Coming from Africa where medical technology is not on par with the rest of world, I believed this was the best way I could make an impact.”
As an only child, Tsalwa found independence at Binghamton University, traveling home only twice in her undergraduate career. When she was not traveling home, she involved herself heavily on campus, realizing that engineering was not her only passion. As an artist, Tsalwa often draws on her creativity as a vital tool for innovation in engineering.
Tsalwa will return to Binghamton in the fall to begin her master’s program in biomedical engineering. She’s working with Assistant Professor Ahyeon Koh on a soft, wearable microfluidic device for the capture, storage and colorimetric sensing of ethanol in sweat.
Danielle Goldinsky
BS in industrial and systems engineering
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, undergraduate course assistant for Watson Communications and for Enterprise Systems, vice president of new member education and vice president for social responsibilities for Alpha Epsilon Phi - Phi Mu chapter
When she was applying to colleges, Danielle Goldinsky didn’t really know what she was looking for. She was conflicted not only with schools, but fields of study as well. In the hopes of appeasing her indecisiveness, her mom recommended Binghamton because of its recognition for both its engineering and business programs.
“My parents both come from engineering backgrounds and felt if I didn’t know what I wanted, I should explore something I would at least have a future in,” Goldinsky said. That’s why she chose engineering, but when it came to declaring a discipline, she had her own opinion. “I didn’t know much about any of the majors, but what I did know is that I wanted to work with people. If my job was going to be solving problems, then my purpose would be helping those who don’t have the ability to help themselves.”
As a freshman, Goldinsky felt a bit thrown into engineering, but as the years went on she felt more comfortable with her classes and more confident in herself. “As courses became more specialized to my major, they made more sense to me. I wasn’t just memorizing material anymore, I was actually applying what I was learning to real-life situations and excelling in the classroom as well. I finally had a sense of satisfaction in my choice of major, and maybe I really did have a future in this field.”
“I’ve been looking for something that will put me in the right direction,” she said of her plans after graduation. Her new position as a proposal analyst associate at Lockheed Martin will see her staying in the Binghamton area and heading in the direction she wants.
College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA)/Graduate School of Education (GSE)
11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 20
Amber Decker/CCPA
BS in human development with a minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Dean of Students Dean’s Team intern, Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development intern, President Harvey Stenger Road Map intern, Phi Mu Fraternity vice president of cabinet and committee, Hughes Hall president, Community Foundation for South Central New York intern, NYS Division of Human Rights intern, Hinman College office student assistant
It was a scorching-hot summer day when Amber Decker visited Binghamton University, not sure she wanted to come here and thinking she wouldn’t like it. Instead, she was sold on becoming a human development major. “Nobody else had it,” she said. “It encompasses social change and humanitarianism as well as analysis and critical perspectives. I hadn’t seen such a program anywhere else, so as soon as I came here and heard about it, I was sold.”
Decker involved herself in a number of initiatives at Binghamton, including as an intern for President Harvey Stenger’s Road Map strategic planning process. “I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity and have had really vulnerable conversations with the president, classmates and administrators,” she said. “I hadn’t expected those opportunities.”
Decker is applying to jobs now and, in the long term, wants to earn master’s and doctoral degrees and be a leadership consultant. “The world awaits,” she said.
Jacqueline Mamorsky/CCPA
Master in Public Administration
Graduate scholar at New York State Assembly; graduate student intern at U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer’s New York City office; graduate student intern at Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Human Trafficking Program; graduate assistant in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life; member Public Service Weekend Committee
Jacqueline Mamorsky earned her BS in Criminal Justice from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2014, then worked as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Paralegal for a full year and half. During her time as a ADA paralegal she began her search for a master’s program. “I wanted to find the best master’s program and diligently worked to find a program that aligns with my interests,” she said. “I realized CCPA had a well-known program, so I applied, came for a tour and found that it had the services that I need, so I knew it would be a great program for me.”
Mamorsky, who is deaf, didn’t realize just how great her choice was until she arrived and started her classes. “My teachers did everything they could to make it a perfect fit,” she said. “I have a strong support system with my teachers and my advisors, and it feels like home. They all have wanted to make sure I had everything I needed.
“I always joke with friends and family that I’ve been here for two years and they’ve spoiled me so I don’t know how I will go back to the real world!” she added.
Mamorsky will finish up her most recent internship with the New York State Assembly in June. She’s been working for Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-District 4) conducting research, working on memos on current issues, writing bill memos and holding meetings with advocacy groups since January. “I love it,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot, especially with the budgeting process, and I’ve learned behind the scenes how the government works and how everyone tries their best to compromise on the budget. I’ve been learning about New York state’s K-12 educational system and environmental conservation issues. It’s interesting to see how things are worked out.
“The days are long, but it’s really been worth it,” Mamorsky added.
After Commencement, Mamorsky hopes to work for local or state government, perhaps in a department that provides research and work with people who need services. “I worked in New York City on an internship providing services for people who needed them, and can’t ask for themselves. I would like to be involved in providing services for people who don’t have a voice,” she said.
Peter Gierlach/GSE
MSEd in literacy education (5-12)
Holds initial certification in adolescence education in social studies (7-12), writing tutor and freshman mentor at Binghamton University, professional development research mentor at Kopernik Observatory, modified football coach, America Reads literacy instructor
Peter Gierlach teaches eighth grade social studies in the Windsor Central School District. He believes that what he learned earning his master’s degree in literacy is making him a better teacher. “I’ve taken every theoretical thing and challenge I learned as an undergraduate and made it concrete and applicable to the real world,” he said. “And I’ve gained the confidence to accomplish the challenges I will encounter.”
He also feels more inspiring and passionate about his field. “I have my faculty to thank for that,” he added.
Why a degree in literacy education? “Teaching social studies is teaching reading and writing – skills that every student needs for every area of life,” Gierlach said. “Learning about literacy makes me a much better teacher because I can understand more of the whole student beyond the social studies box.
“It’s learning how to communicate in different ways … lots more than simply literacy,” he said. “This is helping me develop my students in a way that I couldn’t before.”
3 p.m. Saturday, May 20
William Rayfield
BS in business administration with a concentration in marketing
Social media manager for the Student Association; marketing, advertising and web design consultant; vice president for communication of the Binghamton University Marketing Association; public relations and fundraising committee member for Delta Sigma Pi Professional Co-ed Business Fraternity; Public Speaking lab consultant; head of marketing operations for the Emerging Leaders Program
A transfer with an associate degree from Suffolk County Community College, William Rayfield made the most of his time at Binghamton – even though he came here without ever seeing the campus. “I applied to a few different schools and Binghamton stood out in terms of the business program,” he said. “I never visited. I just went with it and since being here I don’t regret a thing.”
A business administration major with a concentration in marketing, Rayfield became involved in Delta Sigma Pi, the business professional fraternity. “It set me up big time and gave me the ability to mentor younger students,” he said. “I have a ‘Little’ that I mentor and in general I’m always willing to help anyone out to help them grow. My mindset isn’t just for college but to grow as a person.
Rayfield will be working as an assistant strategist for PHD, a fast-growing media agency under the Omnicom parent company, Most recently, he’s been interning for KIIP, a start-up company in the mobile advertising arena.
“I want to open my own business in the future,” he said. “I’m always trying to build up my knowledge base. An idea hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m a risk taker and free flowing. I don’t have a put-in-a-box mindset. Owning my own company is the ultimate way to do that.”
Decker School of Nursing
6 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Denisa Talovic
Post-Graduate Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate
Registered nurse and certified nursing educator; associate professor of nursing at SUNY Broome Community College; staff nurse on the mental health unit for UHS; member and former chair of the SUNY Broome Nursing Policy Committee; member of the SUNY Broome Technology Committee; also at SUNY Broome, served on the Disaster Drill Preparation Health Science Committee and as its coordinator, on the Nursing Department Curriculum Committee and the Nursing Department Resources Committee among others; member of the National League of Nursing and the American Psychiatric Association
Denisa Talovic came to the United States from Bosnia in 2001. She found her first foray into higher education unsuitable, but that didn’t stop her.
“I tried computer science for a year and thought I would die because I like to talk so much, so I switched and went to SUNY Broome nursing program, then earned my bachelor’s degree at Binghamton,” she said. She went to Excelsior College for her master’s degree in nursing education, but wanted more.
“My grandma didn’t have any schooling at all and taught herself to read and write on the QT,” Talovic added. “I’m a feminist because of her and trying to demonstrate it to my daughter, who is here at Binghamton also and wants to go to medical school, and to all other girls who are wondering what does it take? It takes nothing more than what they already have inside.
“I needed to finish my doctorate because I promised my grandmother when I was 9,” she said. “My love of working with people started in Bosnia. I was always with people, I worked as a teacher there and studied counseling for students, then I started from zero again when got to the United States. Now I’m in a place where I will have, with God’s help, a doctorate before I’m 50.”
Following graduation, Talovic will continue teaching at SUNY Broome and working as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at UHS.
Kelly Gleason
BS in nursing
Patient care assistant, substitute teaching assistant, childcare giver, community health volunteer in the Dominican Republic, community chair of the Nursing Student Association, trained administrator for Open Airways for Schools, Binghamton Discovery Center volunteer, member International Foreign Language Honor Society Phi Sigman Iota
Kelly Gleason loved playing soccer, but hadn’t yet found a career passion when she began her freshman year at SUNY Oneonta. She played soccer there, but sought something different academically. She knew little about nursing when she discovered it, but quickly found a passion for it. “I did everything in my power to get to the Decker School of Nursing,” Gleason said. “I knew this was what I wanted to work hard for. Being accepted made me realize it was possible.”
Though the decision was scary, “it was the best decision of my life to transfer,” she said. “I made incredible friends in nursing and outside of nursing. My faculty have been great mentors and I had a really good experience here.
Her time at Binghamton also made her more independent, she said. “Just getting to classes and clinicals, and managing my time made me more self-sustaining.”
Gleason’s goal is to work in the city for one of those “incredible” hospitals, or get a job near home, in Orange County. She’ll work to pass her NCLEX exam, then apply for jobs. Her final clinical rotation through the Decker School was in an ICU where she enjoys comprehensive critical care and working closely with doctors. “I’m really passionate about critical care,” she said.
Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, ceremony 1
8:30 a.m. Sunday, May 21
James Shih
BA in economics; BA in philosophy, politics and law; and a minor in history
Binghamton Varsity Crew Team; case team leader for Binghamton Consulting Group and Finance Society; Binghamton student ambassador; member of National Residency Honorary Hall, Binghamton Rugby Team, Binghamton Ballroom and Evolution Dance Company, Club Gymnastics; Students United Way volunteer; violinist for Intervarsity Christian Worship Team; Spotify campus influencer; Emerging Leaders Program: Merrill Corporation intern; New Hope Group consultant/analyst; Granite Lake Partners intern; GPS Realty, LLC intern; HKS Capital Partners LLC underwriter/broker
In the past four years Shih has played a role in various organizations. One particular experience that stands out was his time rowing on the Binghamton Rowing Team. “The people on the Binghamton Rowing Team not only constantly improve themselves, but light that same fire in all of their teammates as well,” Shih said. “They reflect the kind of people that make up this University.”
Off campus, Shih spent his last two summers in the NYC real estate industry, engaging in leasing and sales of apartments, as well as multi-million dollar commercial loans and mezzanine financing.
Shih plans to work in business administration with Vertical Cable in New Windsor, N.Y., following graduation.
Noon Sunday, May 21
Khadijah Collins
BS in integrative neuroscience
Resident Assistant; Real Education About College Health (REACH) peer educator; Black Student Union historian; Youth Program counselor; Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (JUMP) volunteer/mentor; M-Hope mental health workshops
Her experience here has changed her as well. “The people I’ve met here have helped me grow as a person and made such an impact on me,” she said. “I can never property repay Binghamton. The person I was when I first stepped foot on campus and the person I am now is completely different in a better way.”
Collins’ ultimate goal is to attend medical school to become a psychiatrist, but first, she’ll earn her master’s degree in medical physiology at Case Western Reserve University, where she’ll begin classes in the fall.
3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Dyana Beretz
BA in psychology with minors in education and studio art
Program information liaison and research scholar for the Graduate School of Education; senior consultant and program assistant for the Public Speaking Lab,;Emerging Leaders Program mentor; Greek liaison, Tier One director and event planner for Chabad of Binghamton University; Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development intern; Dean of Students Dean’s Team intern; Relay for Life team recruitment and theme development co-chair; tutor at Institute for Child Development; member of the Education Minor Steering Committee, Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority and Phi Eta Sigma honor society; president of Kappa Delta Pi honor society in education
Dyana Beretz found Binghamton University through a process of elimination. “I went to a high school in Manhattan, but wanted a campus college experience,” she said. “I visited many schools including here, Maryland, and Boston, to name a few. I spent the weekend here twice and immediately felt the warm, friendly environment. I saw familiar faces as I explored the campus and felt an energy of excitement and friendliness.
“Coming to visit Binghamton made the difference,” she said. “I could truly see myself here.”
Beretz expected she would go back to the New York City area following graduation, but instead will be married in June and begin work as an operations manager/executive assistant at a small public affairs firm in Washington, D.C., a position that fits well with her varied interests.