20 minute read
Relationship-Rich
BY MICHAEL CANDELARIA
At Stetson’s 138th Commencement ceremony in May, President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, took a moment during his opening address and prompted the new graduates to look around and acknowledge.
His words that day: “Please take a moment to look over to someone who has made a difference in your Stetson journey and in your life.”
Roellke followed with a message about kindness. Arriving on campus July 1, 2020, almost the same time many of the new graduates were beginning their Stetson journey, Roellke had immediately emphasized kindness and urged its belief as a core university principle.
While on the stage at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium, Roellke spoke of empathy and collaboration, congratulating the new graduates on their accomplishments in those areas — referring to them as the “Kind, Empathetic and Collaborative Stetson University Class of 2024.”
A similar message was delivered a day earlier at a ceremony held for the School of Business Administration, the School of Music and master’s degree graduates. All totaled, more than 860 students received Stetson diplomas that weekend.
Indeed, Roellke’s Commencement remarks were all about the need for — and the result of — creating a nurturing environment that is undeniably relationship-rich, distinctly Stetson and evidently working well.
How well? Below is a brief sampling of the evidence, personified by students from the graduating Class of 2024 who have achieved greatness at Stetson and, in reflection, because of Stetson.
‘Opened My Eyes’
Some might say that international student Yahia Adla got lucky when Lynn Kee, PhD, associate professor of Biology, became his adviser. She was also an international student who had navigated an academic path in the United States and was well aware of programs and opportunities that Adla might have missed without some guidance.
Adla was born in Syria and moved to Egypt with his family in 2012. He applied to Stetson and was accepted in 2020.
While working on a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology during the pandemic, Adla needed lab experience, and since Stetson had closed its labs, he turned to Kee for help. She offered him a summer position working alongside her as a course assistant for the Microbial Diversity Lab Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts.
“We built a connection, and afterwards she helped me make decisions and apply for my summer undergraduate research program,” remembers Adla, who completed a summer research fellowship — a National Science Foundation-funded REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) — at Johns Hopkins University.
“Dr. Kee opened my eyes to other opportunities that I could not see in the United States,” he continues. “When I met Dr.
Kee, I was in pre-med hoping to go to medical school.”
Kee encouraged Adla to try out other things as an undergraduate, and even helped him secure volunteer positions in DeLand clinics. In addition, Michael King, PhD, professor of Biology, was influential in mentoring Adla, who as a recipient of a Stetson SURE grant worked with King to conduct research.
“Yahia is intrinsically curious and loves to learn, so I encouraged him to pursue opportunities to gain more research and lab experiences,” describes Kee. “At Stetson, Yahia was able to be closely mentored by faculty, like Dr. Mike King and myself. I was able to support in unique ways that allowed him to gain valuable experience in biology.”
With Kee’s guidance, Adla came to the realization that he immensely enjoyed research and being in a lab. That’s when Kee introduced him to the possibilities of MD-PhD programs. “I could go to medical school, but also get a PhD. It’s a connection between being a physician and a scientist.”
It’s the route Adla is now taking. He is working as a research technician at Northeastern University in Boston and studying for his MCAT. He plans to apply to medical school next year with the final goal of becoming a physician scientist. — Patricia Letakis
‘Always Checking on Me’
Music has been a lifelong passion for Stetson graduate Isabel Barbato, who received her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance. This fall, she will be pursuing a master’s of Music at the Yale University Institute of Sacred Music.
It’s been quite the journey from nearby Winter Park High School.
During her time at Stetson, Barbato earned several accolades. Most recently, she won first place at the SERNATS vocal competition. She has performed diverse leading roles in Stetson Opera Theatre’s productions. Last fall, Barbato was one of two Stetson students to be selected as an apprentice for the Opera Orlando Apprenticeship, an opportunity that allowed her to perform in Puccini’s Tosca at Steinmetz Hall in downtown Orlando.
The success hasn’t come easily, and she hasn’t done it alone.
In December 2021, Barbato’s life took a 180-degree turn when she was diagnosed with lymphoma. After the diagnosis, she made the decision to withdraw from Stetson for a year to focus on her treatment. She is now cancer-free.
“I decided to come back to Stetson,” she explains. “I don’t know if I would have made that decision if I hadn’t had the experience I had the first couple of years here and the support
I felt not only in those first years, but in the year I left. People were always checking on me, making sure I was doing well.”
Upon her return to school after undergoing treatment, Barbato was welcomed back to the Stetson community with a benefit concert in her name, with the purpose of raising funds to aid other people battling lymphoma.
And, on campus again, Barbato excelled.
“Her instrument is crystalline and agile, with a unique color that is perfectly suited to a variety of styles,” says Karen CokerMerritt, DM, associate professor of music, voice, who helped to guide her. “This ability to shape-shift perfectly into many styles is perhaps her hallmark.”
Barbato is excited to start her master’s education at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, a joint venture between the Yale School of Music and Yale Divinity School that will enable continued academic and professional growth.
Her dream: changing the world for the better, one performance at a time.
“She has inspiring ideas about the intersection of music and medicine, born amidst the year she spent receiving chemotherapy for lymphoma,” Coker-Merritt says. “She is literally changing the world for the better, and if anyone can do it, it will be her.” — Andrea Mujica
‘Chance to Dive Deeper’
Halle Block is quick to point out the two things that helped her succeed at Stetson: smaller class sizes and one-on-one time with professors.
During lectures, she was able to ask questions — something her friends at other universities told her is impossible for them. “I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the materials that I was learning, especially by spending time with professors in their offices one-on-one,” says Block, who attended Boone High School in Orlando.
Working toward her major in Physics, Block had two advisers, Holley Lynch, PhD, associate professor of Physics; and Kevin Riggs, PhD, professor and chair of Physics.
Lynch was her research adviser, helping Block with her two 2024 Stetson Showcase projects, “Bioplastic Decomposition and Comport Fertility” and “Axolotl Cell Shaped Analysis During Tissue Spreading.”
“Halle could have succeeded anywhere because she was a motivated and hard-working student, but she had the chance to dive deeper because of the student-to-professor relationship in Physics at Stetson,” Lynch comments. “Intellectually curious, she would often take advantage to ask questions in office hours trying to get a deeper understanding of the material.”
Block, who sought out additional research opportunities, also worked as Lynch’s assistant for independent study work. All her efforts paid off as Block, who served as the president of the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society, was named Stetson’s 2024 outstanding graduating senior in Physics.
When it came to the next step, choosing a graduate school, Block credits Riggs for showing her the way.
“He helped me find my passion for sustainable materials, which is actually what my senior research was about, and I’m continuing to further my education in that subject,” she notes.
Block has been accepted at Purdue University, where she’ll pursue a doctorate in Material Science and Engineering on a full fellowship this fall. She will be researching and developing innovative, sustainable materials.
Although Block acknowledges that striving for academic excellence comes naturally to her, she knows her advisers made a difference.
“Professors at Stetson applauded me for my preparation,” she concludes. “They also have encouraged me to dive deeper into expanding on different topics and conversations that go into the coursework.” — Patricia Letakis
'Enthusiastically Embraced Every Opportunity'
Being a student-athlete.
That was the first thing on Trynyty Conway’s mind as he considered his college options.
“I had a couple of schools I was talking to, but Stetson stood out to me,” says Conway, who attended Columbus High School in Miami. “They showed me the most love.”
However, Conway — the first in his family to attend college — had no idea that what started as an opportunity to continue playing football would also open the door to knowledge and potential he didn’t know he possessed.
When he arrived on campus, Conway still was unsure of what he wanted to do in life and to study in school. Yet, it wasn’t long before business became an attractive option.
With guidance, he “enthusiastically embraced every opportunity to increase self-knowledge and pursue personal success,” describes Joseph Woodside, DBA, associate professor of Business Systems and Analytics.
“As a result, he successfully achieved his data analytics certification, earning an academically rigorous digital credential that validates knowledge of analyzing and communicating data analysis findings. … Trynyty is well-prepared and positioned for future success,” Woodside adds, noting that Conway combined his business knowledge and his personal passion into a successful project presentation about sports viewership.
Being able to participate in such various experiential-learning opportunities, and utilizing the resources available at the university, came in handy as Conway navigated college while playing football.
“It allowed me to throw myself out there and become a professional,” he says.
Last summer, Conway worked as a bank intern in Miami, where he learned how to conduct operations in diverse areas of the industry, ranging from bank security and IT to wealth management.
Then last fall, as a senior, Conway had two other impactful college experiences: becoming part of the Multicultural Student Association and playing football alongside his younger brother, Shiloh Conway.
“In MSC, you have so many different cultures here that become one big group of people,” he explains. “It’s composed of such diverse people that are now just Hatters. Also, being able to enjoy my football experience, as well as my college experience, with my little brother has been the biggest thing that’s happened to me. … That was amazing.”
Conway’s growth has certainly been noticed, both by Woodside and another mentor, Randall Croom, PhD, associate professor of Management.
“Trynyty’s best qualities are that he is principled, persevering and a leader,” Croom comments. “People like that get difficult things done. As he moves into the next phase of his life and career, I encourage him to stay connected to his foundational values and build something great on that foundation.” — Andrea Mujica
'Always Be Willing to Help'
For Dominique Robinson, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education, teaching was always the path to take.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher; that’s never changed,” she describes. “Before, I wanted to be an art teacher. Then I wanted to be a general education teacher. It wasn’t until I got to middle school that I realized I wanted to be a music teacher, after I joined an official choir. My middle school choir director inspired me because I always had so much fun in choir. I wanted to be that teacher for someone else.”
In addition, Robinson’s love for music has always burned brightly. A fun fact about Robinson: Choir was her favorite class at Stetson.
“That’s a class I took every semester. … I love the teamwork that goes into it. It’s such an emotional experience for all of us, and we get to bond in a special way that you can’t do in other classes,” she says.
Being a perfectionist, Robinson excelled in all her classes both in high school (Dr. Phillips in Orlando) and in college. Plus, at Stetson, she learned a lasting lesson about life: letting go.
“I’m very Type A, I’m very perfectionist, everything has to be right. But I learned that ‘life is life,’ and it should be taken lightly, when appropriate, and things will happen the way they are supposed to happen,” she asserts.
Also, during her time as a Hatter, Robinson was showered with opportunities to conduct for the Stetson choir and others outside the university. She performed well there, too.
“I have witnessed this firsthand in many choral rehearsals, and even on a grand stage,” says Karen Coker-Merritt, DM, assistant professor of music, voice, at Stetson. “But I have also heard effusive praises from many colleagues in this regard … . Her preparation of each piece is careful and detail-oriented, and her choirs exhibit this consistently.”
In turn, Robinson credits her faculty at the School of Music.
“I always reached out for help, either to the dean or some of my professors, and they would always be willing to help in finding a little job or by letting me join work study,” she asserts.
Further, Robinson was part of the Stetson NAfME Collegiate association (chapter of the National Association for Music Education) and the Pi Kappa Lamba music honor society.
“The connections and relationships I made here, those are the things I will always cherish,” she adds. “If I needed help, or if I wanted to share my achievements or if I needed someone to go to when I’m struggling, there were always people at Stetson willing to help.”
As part of the experiential learning opportunities Stetson offers, Robinson interned at Beachside Elementary School in Daytona Beach, where she demonstrated her singing abilities as well as her empathic nature, notes Gregory LeFils, PhD, Stetson visiting assistant professor of music, music education.
“Her dedication and passion for education were evident in the innovative and effective teaching techniques she employed,” he says before adding, “As Dominique embarks on this new chapter of her life, I want to remind her that she has all the tools she needs to succeed.” — Andrea Mujica
‘Really Willing to Support You'
For Isabella Thomsen, Stetson was a safe haven from the first moment she stepped on campus.
“When I was doing my college search, I was looking for smaller schools throughout the South, and Stetson was the only Florida school I ended up applying to,” says Thomsen, from Sarasota's Cardinal Mooney Catholic High. “I ended up coming here because of the business school. I knew I wanted to be a Finance major, and I really enjoyed the Roland George Investments Program here.”
She received a bachelor’s degree in Finance with a concentration in investments and minors in applied statistics and business systems and analytics.
A member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Thomsen took advantage of the university’s relationship-rich environment with active involvement in club volleyball, as well as competitions within the School of Business Administration, which took her to Miami, New York and all the way to Vancouver.
This spring, she was part of the Roland George Investments Program team that won the Florida CFA Research Championship.
“The faculty and your peers are really willing to support you and guide you,” she says. “I don’t think I would have had these opportunities if I didn’t come to Stetson or if I didn’t make sure to reach out to faculty, because I’ve been encouraged to do a lot of things that I initially didn’t think I was capable of.”
Her personality proved to be a winner, too.
“Izzy is a joy to be around,” comments Matthew Hurst, PhD, associate professor of Finance and director of the Roland and Sarah George Investments Institute. “She is always smiling and in good spirits. She takes everything in stride. Beyond her academic ability, which is top-rate, she has poise, grace, and maturity far beyond her years.”
Adds another mentor, John Tichenor, PhD, associate professor of Management and chair of Management: “I am glad she is going into the finance industry. We need more people with Izzy’s perspective in the industry. In the courses I was fortunate enough to have Izzy in, she was extremely curious and challenged her classmates and me when she had questions.”
Now, Thomsen is heading to Vanderbilt University, where she will pursue a master’s in Science and Finance.
Her parting words: “Probably the biggest thing I learned at Stetson is that what you put in is what you get out. … Give everything you have into the Stetson experience, and it’s going to be so rewarding.” — Andrea Mujica
‘Open and Eager to Learn'
Some people are fortunate enough to pinpoint the field they want to work in even before walking the halls of a university. Isabella Recanzone, now with a degree in Public Health and a minor in sociology, is one of them.
“I was in an International Baccalaureate program in high school (Spruce Creek in nearby Port Orange) and had to do a 4,000-word essay,” Recanzone explains. “I wrote about antibiotic resistance, and I realized how much of an issue it was, between people not taking their medicines long enough to doctors not prescribing correctly or over-prescribing.”
That was the turning point when she decided Public Health was what she wanted to study.
At Stetson, her adviser Asal Mohamadi Johnson, PhD, MPH, associate professor of Public Health, recognized Recanzone’s dedication to learning. “Mentoring will not succeed if the mentee is not open to new ideas and adventures,” she says. “Isabella was outstandingly open and eager to learn.”
That, Johnson points out, made her incredibly easy to mentor.
Recanzone, in turn, says her advisers at Stetson opened a ton of opportunities for her. With Johnson’s encouragement, Recanzone served as co-president of the Stetson Public Health Association and as a (Michael) Fronk scholar, educating the campus community about issues related to heroin and opioid addiction. In these roles, she organized and facilitated presentations, training, workshops, Narcan training and other outreach activities.
Within the Public Health program, she was able to work closely with professors and was invited by Johnson to be her teaching assistant for a Global Health and Statistics for Public Health and Environmental Professionals class. The support she received went even further, with Johnson helping her land a job at the Sanford Department of Health upon graduation. There, Recanzone is now working as an epidemiologist focusing primarily on infectious disease prevention.
Also, with Johnson’s guidance, Recanzone plans to obtain a master’s degree in public health from Rollins and eventually become a health educator. — Patricia Letakis
‘Enriched My Undergraduate Experience’
All it took was one question in her first year on campus for Kaira Thevenin to get on a path of consistent mentoring at Stetson.
Her adviser, Kristine Dye, PhD, assistant professor of Health Sciences and Biology, likes to tell the story of how that happened.
“I was just starting up my new research lab,” Dye says. “I was eager to find a freshman that I could work with for the next four years. I knew there were a group of really driven students with high career goals that would benefit from long-term research beginning in their freshman year. It was only a few weeks into the online class that I knew Kaira was the one.”
Then, one day after class, Thevenin, who was majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in Chemistry, asked if there were any research opportunities. Dye and Thevenin worked together since that time, investigating how viruses cause cancer.
“My relationships with faculty and staff members have enriched my undergraduate experience by allowing me to gain a greater sense of community while on campus,” Thevenin comments. “It is these relationships that aided me in navigating through college, whether that be via academic support, advice to encourage personal growth, etc.”
Among Thevenin’s noteworthy accomplishments was her SURE project, “Exploration of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Small Tumor Antigen Localization in Transformation and Tumorigenesis.” Through the years working with Dye, she has been at the forefront of discoveries in the area of skin cancer. Although Thevenin started out with aspirations of becom-
ing a medical doctor, the research experience with her mentor have fueled a new passion toward being a research scientist.
“Dr. Dye had supported me both in and outside of the laboratory,” Thevenin says. “With the addition of her extensive support and guidance over the years, I was able to reach my next step after Stetson, pursuing a PhD.”
Now, that pursuit takes her to Emory University, regarded as one of the nation’s best schools for biomedical sciences. — Patricia Letakis
'Everyone Gets to Know Each Other'
The journey to Stetson was certainly an uncommon one for Alonso Tang, who received a bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance.
Born in Hialeah, a suburb of Miami, to Peruvian parents, Tang moved to Lima, Peru, during his early years and was raised there. At Stetson, he became the first member of his family to attend college in the United States.
“Growing up, I had heard that the Finance program here was really good and competitive,” he recalls. “One thing I like about the School of Business Administration is that it gives you the option to start doing some type of research, and it presents opportunities to get some experiential learning requirements.”
“The biggest challenge was, when I graduated from high school in Peru, before COVID-19, I had to take a gap year because of financial problems,” Tang explains. “Then, the COVID-19 situation was really bad in Peru, and it took us a while to get back to the normal level of living. Coming here, getting to know a different culture, it took me a couple of semesters to adapt. … Stetson is such a small school, everyone gets to know each other at some point, which is something I deeply value.”
Tang became involved in multiple organizations, including the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and Alpha Kappa Psi, a coed professional business fraternity, as well as the Roland George Investments Program.
He eventually found his footing.
“Alonso is a delightful student. He’s smart, considerate and, most of all, he genuinely cares about the people around him,” asserts David Mascio, PhD, professor of Applied Investments.
“… I would like to say to him, ‘I am always a phone call away, and I know whatever you choose to do, you will make it a great experience for all who meet you.’”
This summer, Tang started a new chapter at Stetson in the Master of Accountancy program. He intends to complete the program in a year and then focus on becoming a Certified Public Accountant.
“It took me a while to convince my parents about me coming here. But now … they are realizing that there are a lot of opportunities for me here, so they are super-proud of me,” he says.
Both literally and figuratively, he has come a long way.
“I came here with no experience and no knowledge of the business world,” he adds. “I had no idea what that meant.” — Andrea Mujica
