Cybersecurity major Olivas graduates at Le Moyne College

Greater Riverdale’s Jesenya Olivas, a senior cybersecurity major specializing in information and systems security, graduated from Le Moyne College and made its dean’s list as well. She held a grade point average of 3.5 or above.

While enrolled, she interned at the college as a security analyst and was a part of a Women in Cybersecurity Club as well as the institution’s racial justice committee.

At Le Moyne’s 73rd commencement this past May, its undergraduate ceremony was 15 minutes away from campus at the largest exposition center north of New York City.

Its student speaker was Ivy Santana, a criminology major with a minor in Spanish and gender women studies. After graduation, she will work as a paralegal at a law firm in Syracuse and then continue with Syracuse University for her law degree.

“Keep your eyes on the prize and use the last four years as a reminder that we are stronger than we think, and together we were able to make it through the finish line,” she said.

The keynote speaker was author, professor at Syracuse, and disabilities activist Stephen Kuusisto. Born legally blind, he is the author of the memoirs “Have Dog, Will Travel — Planet of the Blind” — a New York Times “Notable Book of the Year” and several others. He also had a Fulbright scholarship in Helsinki, Finland.

Le Moyne was rated by U.S. News & World Report as number three for best value colleges in the Northeast. The institution is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the country.

Fairfield U graduates

Four students from greater Riverdale graduated from Fairfield University this May.

Lily Becker spent her summer last year thousands of miles away from home — Florence, Italy — for a three-week study abroad program with another student at Florence University of the Arts.

Karen Coughlan double majored in marketing and management and minored in mathematics. At college, she was president of the Sweet Harmony Club, Fairfield’s only all-women cappella.

Jacob Fadda, a  finance major with a minor in business analytics, is interested in the financial world. He also made the dean’s list in 2021 and was an office assistant at SAR Academy between 2020 and 2021.

After graduating, Brendan McCormick, a finance major, started an investment consultant role at Global X ETFs.

At the time of graduation, a student must earn at least 120 credits and, depending on the major, complete at least 38 courses.