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56 THE QUEENS COURIER • GRADUATION • JUNE 15, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM graduation Queensborough graduates have incredible stories to tell Queensborough Community College in Bayside held its 56th Commencement exercises on June 2, with hundreds of parents and loved ones cheering on the graduating class of 2017. Th e college’s president, Diane Call, conferred degrees on the graduates and welcomes numerous distinguished guests, including Councilman Barry Grodenchik, Assemblyman David Weprin and state Senator Toby Ann Stavisky. Farbod Hadizadeh Moghadam, president of the Student Government Association, delivered an address to his fellow classmates and the crowd. Among Queensborough’s many outstanding graduates are the following: Razieh Arabi, a first-generation immigrant from Iran, who received an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in business administration. Arabi was a young woman when her family sent her to the U.S. in 2001, for an arranged marriage to an Iranian-American. Her husband did not support her plans to continue her education. Eventually, Arabi left him in 2009 and moved to New York with her 1-year-old son. Since deciding to enroll at Queensborough, Arabi has thrived in many activities and clubs and served as treasurer for the student government. She will move on to Baruch College, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in accounting and fi nance. Haris Khan earned an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in urban studies. Khan moved with his family throughout Southeast Asia until his father, a Pakistani embassy staff er, was posted in the U.S. While at Queensborough, Haris interned for Congresswoman Grace Meng, as a fellow to her political action committee known as At the Table, which empowers individuals from traditionally under-served communities to run for public offi ce. Th is fall, Khan is planning to attend Th e City College of New York (CUNY), where he has been accepted into the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, and the Skadden, Arps Program in Legal Studies. Tao Hong graduated with an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in engineering science. Originally from China, Tao has received the 2017 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, worth up to $40,000 per year to complete his baccalaureate degree. Hong is one of just 55 outstanding community college students from around the nation from a competitive pool of nearly 3,000 applicants to receive the transfer scholarships this year. Hong has also received a two-year 2017 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate award in the sciences. Hong is one of two community college Goldwater awardees nationwide, the only Goldwater awardee from CUNY and one of only two Goldwater awardees from New York. Carmen Clavijo earned an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. Clavijo, an exceptional student who currently carries a 3.74 G.P.A., has been named a QCC Women’s Volleyball 2016 CUNYAC/Region XV Champion, awarded each year to superb student athletes. Th e Queensborough Community College Women’s Volleyball team fi nished a stellar year which saw them fi nish undefeated in CUNYAC and Region XV play. Th ey fi nished as the top team in NY State and No. 7 nationally. Rosali Rocha, a DREAM.US Scholar, received an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in business administration. Originally from Brazil, Rocha has received the DREAM.US scholarship, worth up to $25,000 per year for undocumented students to complete their baccalaureate degree. Rocha will continue her education at Baruch College (CUNY), where she will major in international business. Kelvin Henry earned an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in computer engineering technology. Henry won fi rst place prize at the 2016 CUNY & Capital One Community College Innovation Challenge Finals for his business idea, KMATIKZ. His business idea was inspired by the fact that he is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a gunshot wound in his back. His disability led him to create a line of adaptive apparel that he sketches, designs and sews on his own industrial sewing machine. In order to use the sewing machine, he invented a part in the college’s 3-D printing lab and plans to patent the piece. Myo Th u Ya Aung earned in January of this year an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in engineering science. At Queensborough he engaged in undergraduate research in solar, geospace and atmospheric physics under the 2016 NASA research grant, “CUNY-NASA Solar and Atmospheric Research Program and Education Partnership. He will pursue his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Sophia Worrell graduated with an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree. Worrell won fi rst place in the CUNY and CAP ONE Community College Finals for her business idea, the Gift ed Child Project. Worrell’s volunteer work at a domestic violence shelter opened her eyes to the dire needs of its children as well as college-age adults and ESL students. Over time, she witnessed the trauma and neglect that perpetuated a vicious cycle of failure in school and abusive behavior as they got older. Th ese harsh realities inspired Worrell to reach out to school-age children and young adults to help them realize the value of staying in school. Several graduates were honored with various awards as follows: • Nicole Wee: Th e President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Associate in Arts degree • Sergei Dzhumaev: Th e President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Associate in Science degree • Ferany Kumar: Th e President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Associate in Applied Science degree • Haris Khan and Farbod Hadizadeh Moghadam: the 2017 John F. Kennedy Memorial Award for demonstrating outstanding college and community leadership, as well as scholastic achievement • Fatima Faisal: the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for demonstrating exceptional leadership in promoting racial harmony and appreciation of cultural diversity


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