Congratulations to six members of the Westfield State Class of 2020 who have been recognized with prestigious academic distinction.
“We recognize and celebrate the academic accomplishments of these students who have excelled academically,” said Robert Kersting, Ph.D., Westfield State’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Among them, we had four students achieve the remarkable benchmark of a perfect 4.0 GPA. The faculty and administration are extremely proud of these students and of all members of the Class of 2020, who earned their degrees during an incredibly unusual and challenging period of time.”
Four members of the undergraduate Class of 2020 shared the honor of being valedictorian:
- Julianna Campbell, an English major from Springfield, Mass.;
- Carly Thibodeau, an economics and management/environmental science major from Mendon, Mass.;
- Jessie Walton, a movement science major from Huntington, Mass.; and
- Vita Yurovsky, a business management major from West Springfield, Mass.
The salutatorian was Sarah Dunn, an elementary education/liberal studies major from Holden, Mass.
The Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence was earned by Jason Richard, a criminal justice major from Granby, Mass., in recognition of finishing with the highest institutional GPA among undergraduate students in the College of Graduate and Continuing Education (CGCE).
In addition, the 2020 Dr. John F. Nevins Outstanding Educator Award was given to Jessica Grabowski, MS, PA-C, an assistant professor in health sciences.
In 1993, the CGCE’s Outstanding Educator Award was first given to Dr. Nevins. After his passing, the award was re-named in his honor. Considerations when deciding who the recipient of the nomination-based award are “concern with student learning, openness to other views, thoroughness in covering material, knowledge of subject area, and a commitment to graduate and continuing education students and programs.”
Dr. Grabowski earned the award because she, in the words of one nominator, “goes above and beyond to ensure that each student has a positive experience and receives an excellent education. Her kindness, encouragement, sense of humor, professionalism, and dedication to both her patients and her students is truly special.”