Iya Bekondo ’08,
founder of the Iya Foundation
Inc., was recognized as a community partner and
awarded a $1000 grant by Wells Fargo through
its Community Connections Program to help
support the organization’s mission of promoting
kidney disease and organ donation awareness, as
well as financially assisting kidney failure patients.
Daniel Brophy ’08
presented his exhibit “Off the
Sidewalk” in collaboration with his sister at the
Africa House Gallery in Lynchburg, VA.
Lisa Conrad ’08,
founder of the Newark
Print Shop, was profiled in a feature story on
NewarkInc.com in August 2015 for her ongoing
efforts to create a sense of creative community
in the heart of downtown Newark. She is hopeful
that Newark’s downtown revitalization endeavors
will include spaces for artists to continue to
flourish and play a part in the city’s growth.
Fausto Diaz ’08, CPA,
a senior specialist in the
finance department of Cohn Reznick LLP, one of
the leading accounting, tax, and advisory firms in
the United States, was named Vice President of
the Board for the New Jersey Society of Certified
Public Accountants’ (NJCPA), Middlesex Chapter.
Janine Kipp ’08 ’11 MA o
f Castleton Corners and
Carl Petrigno of Eltingville are engaged.
Annabell Louis ’08 MSWo
f Linden High School
was named Educational Service Professional of
the Year for 2015-16.
Ami D. Zanders ’08,
a Bermudian textile artist,
was commissioned by game organizers for the
2015 Pan American Games (located in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada) to have images of her artwork
displayed on the customized sails of a flotilla
along Lake Ontario’s shoreline.
Six former student athletes and one administrator
were inducted into The Kean University Benisch
Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2015
class. Those who joined the Hall of Fame this
spring were former women’s soccer standout
Heather Anzivino ‘08,
baseball All-American
Mike Battista ‘08,
men’s lacrosse star
Gerard
“Gerry” Benaquista ‘94,
women’s basketball
All-American Shervon James ‘04,
two-sport
standout
Deanna Thomas ‘05,
two-time
baseball All-American
Dan Zeffiro ‘08.
Elisabeth Buckley ‘09
graduated from Clemson
University with a Master of Science degree
in Youth Development Leadership through
an online program in December 2014. She
is currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA
(Volunteer in Service to America) with the Rutgers
Cooperative Extension, New Brunswick 4-H Youth
Development Program.
Christopher Burke ’09,
Unity Bank Assistant Vice
President/Credit Analyst, was selected as a New
Leader in Banking by the New Jersey Bankers
Association in December of 2014. He was one of
only 13 bankers statewide under the age of 40
to be honored by NJBankers, a trade association
representing more than 350 banks and service
providers.
Mark Friedrich ’09 MA,
health & physical
education lead teacher at Millburn High School,
received the 2016 High School Physical Education
Teacher of the Year Award from The New Jersey
Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance (NJAHPERD).
Damian Serafin ’09
was sworn in as an officer
of the Scotch Plains Police Department at their
Township Council meeting in June.
2010s
Deborah Belusa ’10
was ordained as a Minister
of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian
Church (USA) at the First Presbyterian Church in
Lake Alfred, Florida. Prior to her ordination, Rev.
Belusa completed a Master of Divinity degree
at The Theological School at Drew University,
and completed 400 hours of Clinical Pastoral
Education (chaplaincy) training at Tampa General
Hospital.
Christine Danelson ’10 ’15 MSW
directed
Mother Seton High School’s first production of
the hit show Hairspray. Danelson, who went on
tour as the standby to the lead for the Broadway
version of the show after her own graduation,
now serves as Mother Seton’s music teacher and
social worker.
Davida Lindsay-Harewood ’10 MA
published
The Influence of an Extended School Day on
Middle School English Language Arts and
Mathematics Achievement in a New Jersey
Suburban School District which will soon be
available through Seton Hall University.
Travis Smith ’10 MA
was selected as the new
principal for Ramapo High School.
Christine Casale-Broski ’11,
sixth-grade
language arts teacher at Carl H. Kumpf Middle
School in Clark, N.J., was named the Middle
Level Educator of the Year by the New Jersey
Association for Middle Level Education (NJAMLE).
In July 2015,
Cindy Celi ’11, Mark Gittens ’14,
Michael Martino ’14, and Zara Cana ’15,
were
among the latest cohort of New Jersey Teaching
Fellows recognized by the WoodrowWilson
National Fellowship Foundation. The highly
competitive program recruits recent graduates
and career changers with strong backgrounds in
science, technology, engineering, and math (the
STEM fields) and prepares them to teach in high-
need secondary schools.
Judith Gomez ’11,
English as a Second Language
teacher, was recognized as a “Women of
Achievement” during the 17th annual ceremony
of the West Essex Women’s Club at the West
Caldwell Library.
Shabazz Green ’11
took on the leading role
in a revival of the musical “Jamaica” at the New
Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia.
Michael J. Milazzo ’11
was sworn in as a
member of the New York State Bar Association.
He is currently at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, a
leading New York City law firm.
Sahil Patel ’12,
founder of international
multi-channel retailer Vijay Holdings, had his
company was ranked 366th among the nation’s
5000 fastest growing private companies on Inc.
Magazine’s annual list. The 2015 Inc. 5000 List
was unveiled on Inc.com and represents the
most comprehensive look at a very important
segment of the economy; America’s independent
entrepreneurs.
Amanda Levie ’12,
director and founder of No
Peeking Theater, was featured in the February
2015 edition of NJ.com for her collaboration with
Art House Productions on “The Shapeshifter,”
a sensory play designed for sight-impaired
audiences that uses fragrance, atmosphere,
texture and sound to bring the story to life.
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milestones
