Local students receive collegiate honors

The following students from the Sparta Independent’s coverage area have graduated, made an honors list or otherwise distinguished themselves at institutes of higher learning.
Kimberly Lennox of Sparta was named to the University of Hartford Dean's List for Spring 2017. The university is located in West Hartford, CT.
Austin Henderson of Sparta was named to SUNY Potsdam President's List.
Henderson, whose major is Exploratory/Undeclared, was among 855 SUNY Potsdam students who were honored for academic excellence in the Spring 2017 semester. To achieve the honor of being on the President's List, each student must have satisfactorily completed 12 numerically-graded semester hours, with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. SUNY Potsdam is located in Potsdam NY.
Jacqueline Foley of Sparta, whose parents are William and Victoria Foley, graduated in May 2017 on the dean’s list with a bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the Marion Egan School of Nursing at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.
The following students have earned the esteemed honor of placement on the Dean's List at The College of New Jersey, located in Ewing, for the spring 2017 semester. To achieve this honor, a student must carry 12 or more credits that semester and earn a 3.5 (or above) grade point average. From Sparta:
Abigail Anker, Special Education
Katherine D'auria, Nursing
Kelly King, Visual Arts
Thomas Livecchi, Biomedical Engineering -BS
Kira Manniello, English Secondary Education
Allison Marcino, Deaf/Hard of Hearing/El
Emily Mead, Marketing
Emily Melberger, International Studies
Taylor Nolan, Biomedical Engineering -BS
Samantha Raffino, Nursing
Tanya Townsend, Chemistry (ACS - Research)
Dean M. Gennat was named to the Spring Semester 2017 President's List for Spring 2017 at Western New England University, located in Springfield, MA. Gennat is working toward a degree in Criminal Justice with Terrorism - Homeland Security Concentration. Students are named to the President's List for achieving a semester grade point average of 3.80 or higher.
Hofstra University, located in Hempstead, NY, congratulates Spring 2017 Dean's List students. Students must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5 during the semester to make the Dean's List. From Sparta: Haley Barna, Courtney Richmond, Jeremy Skiba and Ashley Smetana.
Grant Hagedorn of Sparta was among the nearly 1,400 undergraduates receiving bachelor's degrees from the University of Dayton, in Dayton OH, during the spring 2017 commencement ceremony.
Centenary University, in Hackettstown, held its 142nd commencement recently. Local residents that received degrees are as follows:
Marisa Baeli, a student from Sparta, graduated during the January 2017 term with a Master of Education in Reading.
John Gallagher, a student from Sparta, graduated during the May 2017 term with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Peter Gladis, a student from Sparta, graduated during the May 2017 term with an Associate in Arts in Liberal Arts.
Kathryn L. Iannacone, a student from Sparta, graduated during the May 2017 term with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
Sara Melberger, a student from Sparta, graduated during the May 2017 term with a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling.
Simone Lyle, a student from Sparta, graduated during the September 2017 term with a Master of Business Administration.
Eryn Pilla, a student from Sparta, graduated during the September 2017 term with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Lia A. Tirpack, a student from Sparta, graduated during the September 2017 term with a Master of Arts in Education: Special Education.
Daniel Warhol, of Sparta, was named to Spring 2017 Dean's List at the University at Albany, located in Albany, NY.
Madeline Seeland, of Sparta, was named to Wheaton College (Ill.) Dean's List for Spring 2017 Semester. To earn Dean's List honors at Wheaton, an undergraduate student must carry 12 or more credit hours and achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher on the 4.0 scale.
Three Sparta residents have recently been named to the Dean's List at Boston University, located in Boston, MA, for the Spring semester:
Briana E. Lynam, Stephen T. Vocaturo, Shannon C. Zensen.
Boston University awarded academic degrees to 6,045 students in May 2017. Local students receiving degrees included:
Stephen T. Vocaturo, Bachelor of Science in Communication, Summa Cum Laude; Joseph C. Fernandez, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management, Summa Cum Laude; and Anna Han, Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Cum Laude.
Christian Glew of Sparta was named to the University of Alabama's President's List fgor Sproing 2017. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Daniel Scully of Sparta made the Dean's List at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, MD.
University of Dubuque, located in Dubuque, IA, celebrated the accomplishments of its undergraduate, graduate, and seminary students at its 165th Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 13. Patrick Sileo of Sparta earned a Doctor of Ministry.
One Quinnipiac University School of Nursing student recently aced the ultimate health care exam — delivering a healthy baby girl. As an EMT of more than 5 years, Ashley Darnsteadt, of Sparta, has gained extensive experience both in the classroom and on location. In the early hours of a recent morning, she responded to a report of a woman in labor in Sparta. Despite being a veteran EMT, her partner had never experienced a child birth. Darnsteadt, who had recently finished her maternity rotations through Quinnipiac, told him she felt confident to take the lead.
Darnsteadt delivered the baby, then performing an assessment of the newborn and her mother. She remained focused, and never lost composure as she clamped and cut the cord, and delivered the placenta. When the new mother and baby girl were both ready, they transported them to an area hospital. Darnsteadt praised her nursing professor at Quinnipiac, Carol Connery, for her success. Quinnipiac is located in Hamden, CT