AUBURN/FULTON – Two local students graduating this spring from Cayuga Community College have received the prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence (CASE).
Cayuga’s Cassie DiSanto and Brittany Kulas are among a select group of students named CASE recipients in 2020, with only 213 students across the SUNY system receiving the award. The award honors students who integrate their academic success with leadership responsibilities, campus involvement, athletics, career achievement and community service.
Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant praised the two students for their outstanding academic accomplishments, campus involvement and dedication to helping other students.
“Cassie and Brittany have tremendous records of achievement in the classroom, but their belief in helping their fellow students grow is truly remarkable. They dedicated themselves to working with other students and supporting them on their academic path, all while excelling in their own courses. We are proud of their commitment and success, and we congratulate them on receiving the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence,” Durant said.
A Health Sciences major with a concentration in Medical Imaging/Radiography, DiSanto is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, a student in Cayuga’s Honors Program and is graduating with a 3.75 grade point average. She’s been named to the President’s or Provost’s Lists each semester since fall 2018.
The Union Springs High School graduate tutors students in math, science and writing, and is an embedded tutor for an anatomy and physiology course. DiSanto also works in the College Admissions Office and serves as a student ambassador.
“There are so many great students at Cayuga and at all the SUNY schools, so it’s certainly an honor and a bit of a surprise to receive the award,” DiSanto said. “I had so much support during my time at Cayuga, especially from Professor Sue Gilmore and my other professors, and they inspired me to keep working toward my goals and to be the best version of myself.”
After completing her degree at Cayuga this spring, DiSanto is transferring to SUNY Upstate Medical University’s highly competitive Medical Imaging Science/Radiography Bachelor of Science program.
A Moravia High School graduate who is majoring in Business Administration at Cayuga, Kulas is also a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member and is the president of Enactus, the student business club. She’s been named to the President’s List each semester since Fall 2018.
Kulas, who is graduating from Cayuga with a 4.0 grade point average, tutors other students in the business lab and is an embedded tutor in accounting courses. She also works in the College’s Office of Accessibility Resources.
“I knew there were a lot of people who could apply for the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, so to be one of the few students selected is really exciting,” Kulas said. “I think the supportive environment at Cayuga with other students and my professors really helped me be successful in my courses and pushed me to receive the award.”
Following the end of the spring semester, Kulas is transferring to Le Moyne College to study accounting. She eventually wants to earn her master’s degree and become a certified public accountant.
For more information about the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, visit https://system.suny.edu/university-life/student-excellence/.
Photos courtesy of J. Freeman Photography and Maggie Gallagher Photography.
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