Ward, Young to be honored as Senior Class MarshalsApril 26, 2004Sara Millersemortim@syr.edu
Syracuse University seniors Matthew Ward and Sarah Young have been selected to represent the Class of 2004 as Senior Class Marshals at the University’s 150th Commencement. They will lead the procession of graduates during the May 9 ceremony in the Carrier Dome. To be selected a class marshal is among the most prestigious honors at SU and is awarded on the basis of academic achievement, involvement in student organizations and campus and community service.
Ward will graduate with a bachelor of fine arts degree in interior design from the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). Young will graduate from the College of Human Services and Health Professions (HSHP) with a bachelor of arts degree in social work.
Matthew Ward Throughout his college career, Ward has been actively involved in campus organizations such Pride Union, where he served as president in 2002-03; the University Senate Committee for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns; and Team Against Bias. He has worked at the LGBT Resource Center since its opening in 2002 and was co-organizer of Coming Out Week 2002-03, helping to bring popular musical performers to campus for the week.
Ward has been named a 2004 VPA Scholar. In 2003, he was recognized with both a CORE Award for Excellence in Leadership–presented to students who demonstrate exemplary leadership through their involvement in student organizations-and the 2003 Foundation Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Students, which recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the LGBT community at the University.
Ward’s other campus and academic involvements include membership in The American Society of Interior Designers, SU Student Chapter; Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society; and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
In addition to his organizational work, he toured Poland and the Czech Republic with the Hendricks Chapel Choir in 2001.
Looking beyond graduation, Ward plans on furthering his interest in creating art and possibly pursuing a master’s degree in higher education administration or museum studies.
He is the son of Gary and Susan Ward of Yardley, Pa.
Sarah YoungIn addition her honor as class marshal, Young has been selected as one of 10 University Scholars for 2004, the highest undergraduate honor bestowed by the University. She was also named a 2003-04 Remembrance Scholar, which is among the most prestigious awards given by the University to honor the 35 SU students killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988.
Young will graduate with honors from the Renee Crown Honors Program.
As part of her SU experience, Young has served as a HSHP Academic Peer Advisor and helped develop the school’s new magazine, “Healthy You @ SU,” as a staff writer and editor.
In 2003, Young was named a Clements Internship Award recipient. She chose to take her internship abroad to UNICEF’s Right to Know Project in Jamaica to educate teens on AIDS awareness and protection. Working in the Jamaican community of Kingston, Young helped local youth create a public service announcement on the disease, while she gained an understanding of a cultural and social organization much different from the United States.
Among Young’s other honors are a 2003 Woman of Distinction Award in the category of caring, and selection to the 2001-02 executive board of the Northeast National Collegiate Honors Council (NE-NCHC) as a student representative.
Young is a founding member and public relations manager for SU’s Social Workers United and a founding member of the Honors Student Association.
Following graduation, she will visit London for six months to launch her career in social work, working in the area of foster care and adoption. Her other long-term ambitions include joining the Peace Corps in the future, graduate school and picking up new language skills in American Sign Language (ASL), Spanish and other languages.
She is the daughter of Mary and Corky Dykeman of McGraw, N.Y.
This year’s class marshal selection committee reviewed more than 60 applications for this honor. The committee consists of Mary Jo Custer, assistant to the senior vice president for student affairs; Eric F. Spina, Douglas D. Danforth Dean of the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science; Rommel Abad, graduate student representative; Kimberly Krol, undergraduate student representative; and Lena Rose Orlando, associate director of student affairs, who served as the committee chair.
Marshals for each of the University’s schools and colleges have also been announced; they are selected annually to lead the procession of graduates from each school and college into the Commencement ceremony. The 2004 college marshals are:
School of Architecture: John Lacy of Kissimmee, Fla., a senior majoring in architecture; and Linnaea Stuart of Windham, N.H., a senior majoring in architecture.
College of Arts and Sciences: John Kipchirchir Bitok of Kitale, Kenya, a senior majoring in biochemistry; Suzanne E. Wheeler of Wilton, N.Y., a senior majoring in biology; and Kathryn E. Woods of Camp Hill, Pa., a senior majoring in psychology.
School of Education: Barbara Schrom of Liverpool, N.Y., a senior majoring in secondary English education; and Matthew Tetenbaum of Plainview, N.Y., a senior majoring in inclusive elementary and special education
L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science: Alexandre Chapeaux of Syracuse, N.Y., a senior majoring in chemical engineering; and Ingrid Erica Skoog of Chelmsford, Mass., a senior majoring in computer science.
College of Human Services and Health Professions: April Nadine Gurley of Brooklyn, N.Y., a senior majoring in social work; and Regina M. Painter of Auburn, N.Y., a senior majoring in child and family studies.
School of Information Studies: Brian Rubinstein of Lutherville, Md., a senior majoring in information management and technology; and Jennifer Ann Wells of Hilton, N.Y., a senior majoring in information management and technology.
The Graduate School: A. Lanethea Matthews-Gardner of Allentown, Pa, a graduate student majoring in political science.
College of Law: Patrick E. Betar of Huntington, N.Y., a graduate student majoring in law.
Martin J. Whitman School of Management: Roger W. Samuels of Herndon, Va., a senior majoring in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises and finance; and Amanda E. Witham of Wells, Maine, a senior majoring in marketing and supply chain management.
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs: Sandip G. Mehta of Maumee, Ohio, a graduate student majoring in public administration and international relations
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications: Allison Eckelkamp of North Brookfield, Mass., a senior majoring in public relations; and Robert J. Fiato of Rensselaer, N.Y., a senior majoring in public relations.
University College: Donna R. Yager of Bernhards Bay, N.Y., a senior majoring in applied computer technology.
College of Visual and Performing Arts: Emalie Berezov of Nashville, Tenn., a senior majoring in communication and rhetorical studies; and Richard Ugino of Hilton, N.Y., a senior majoring in musical theater.
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry: Angela M. Eddy of Fishkill, N.Y., a senior majoring in environmental studies; and Laura A. Eiselen of New Hyde Park, N.Y., a senior majoring in environmental studies.
