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Barnard Scholars Chosen

Wed., May 13

Three students who received a prestigious university award would like to return to the classroom as teachers, while a fourth seeks to work for a nonprofit issue advocacy organization by the fall.

The quartet comprises this year's nominees for the Henry Barnard Foundation Distinguished Student Award. Each year, Southern chooses four outstanding students for the award who have at least a 3.7 GPA and have demonstrated outstanding participation in university and/or community life. A total of 12 students are selected each year from the four campuses of the Connecticut State University System.

 

alberto cifuentesAlberto Cifuentes, Jr. (at left), a media studies and English major, has a 3.75 GPA. He plans to continue his studies after taking a semester off to work for a state or national grassroots/nonprofit issue advocacy group.

Cifuentes has been a member of LGBTQIA Prism for two years, the last year as its co-president. He also has been treasurer of the Media Studies Club and secretary of the SCSU chapter of Amnesty International. He has been employed as a student worker in Buley Library since 2004. He serves as co-chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. He led a discussion last year for the Ella Grasso Youth Action Conference on the new teen driving laws. He has been a recipient of the Sylvia Spino Endowed Scholarship and the Dr. Adelaide P. Amore Memorial Endowed Scholarship, both from the SCSU Alumni Association.
"Alberto is not only a sophisticated critical thinker, outstanding researcher and exceptional scholar, but a human being who demonstrates kindness, generosity and empathy for every other living creature," says Rosemarie Conforti, chairwoman of the Media Studies Department.


megan rudneMegan Rudne (at right), an art education major, has a 3.8 GPA. She plans to pursue a Master of Science degree in special education with a specialization in autism spectrum disorders.

Rudne is a member of the President's Sustainable Climate Committee and the Environmental Futurists Club. She has been employed as a student worker for the last two years in the Office of Judicial Affairs and for the last two and a half years as a resident adviser in the Office of Residence Life. She has been feeding homeless people on the New Haven Green for the last two and a half years. She was the recipient of the Sylvia Leggiero Spino Memorial Scholarship from the SCSU Alumni Association in both 2007 and 2008.

"She interacts with students at all levels and engages them in constructive community activities," says Mitchell Bills, chairman of the Art Department. "In addition, her past work as a nanny, a teacher, a Big Sister and a camp counselor speaks to her interest in working with younger children."

 



catherine shortellCatherine Shortell (at left), a history/secondary education major, has a 3.81 GPA. She plans to seek employment as a high school social studies teacher. 

Shortell is a member of the executive board for Zeta Delta Epsilon, the university's honors community service organization. She has been a member of the Newman Society for four years, including a term as its president in 2005. She has served as a volunteer at the St. Ann's Soup Kitchen, as well as having participated in the Hunger Awareness Crop Walk and the New Haven Cook and Care Walk-a-thon. She has volunteered as an SAT prep coach for Project GEAR UP. She worked as a private tutor for the last seven years for students in grades 6 to 12, including home-schooled students in the subjects of social studies, science, English and Latin. A member of the Honors College, she has been a student teacher at Sheehan High School in Wallingford. She has been a care giver for her mother, who is a quadriplegic.

"I admire her steadfast commitment, her remarkable grace and maturity, her ability to balance academic endeavor with love of family and selfless service to her mother," says Terese Gemme, Honors College director. "Often in these recommendations, we extol our students for their notable sense of responsibility. Seldom in my experience has the acknowledgement of this attribute been so richly deserved."

 

walter stutzmanWalter Stutzman (at right), a music major, has a 4.0 GPA. He plans to teach music appreciation, theory and/or piano in a secondary school in Connecticut.

Stutzman is a nontraditional student, opting to pursue a music degree after working 30 years in the field of software design and implementation. In so doing, he was able to convert his hobby of music into his vocation. He has served as a volunteer accompanist for the choir at Temple Beth Tikvah in Madison. He earned departmental honors in music last year. He had earned a Master of Arts degree from Yale University in linguistics in 1975 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Pomona College in 1971.

Jonathan Irving, chairman of the Music Department, describes Stutzman as someone who "helps fellow students in ways that often go without any publicity; a person whose moral character rises to an example of humanity through often silent deeds, but with a conscience for service towards the betterment of life." 

Through his family foundation, Stutzman recently made a gift to the university to establish and support the Southern Applied Music Program. The program will provide free weekly private voice or instrument lessons to all declared music majors who maintain a C-minus or better average in music courses.