Communication department announces scholarship recipients for 2023-2024

Fourteen students will receive financial awards and certificates that reflect their talent, hard work, dedication, service, and academic excellence at the Department of Communication’s annual awards banquet on Saturday, April 22, at 2 p.m. in the Williams Center’s Horizon Room.

The keynote speaker for the event is 2017 alumnus Colin Perry. Mr. Perry is a Program Officer at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. In this role, he supports numerous grantmaking and leadership initiatives that promote the foundation’s Mission of connecting people, resources, and ideas to improve lives in Western New York.

Perry’s portfolio includes projects that advance racial and ethnic equity, education, economic mobility, workforce development, the environment, healthy living, arts and culture, and historic preservation.  Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Perry served as a grant writer for Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc., where he helped develop proposals to fund the agency’s numerous anti-poverty services.

As an undergraduate at SUNY Fredonia, Perry served as editor-in-chief of The Leader; was a member of Lambda Pi Eta, Sigma Tau Delta, Golden Key, and the Honors Program; and majored in English and Communication-Journalism with minors in American Studies and Philosophy. 

Family and friends will be attending to celebrate student winners. Several scholarship benefactors will also attend. The scholarships were established through the Fredonia College Foundation.

New members of Fredonia's Lambda Pi Eta chapter (Alpha Beta Epsilon) will also be inducted at the ceremony by the chapter President Hannah Barden, member Andrea Veléz-Davis,  and faculty advisor, Dr. Angela McGowan-Kirsch. Inductees include Jordan Budd, Ryan Champlin, Samantha DalPorto, Audrey Erickson, Alexandra Giles, Shawna Gormican, Jacob Hébert, Brianna Howard, Chloe Kowalyk, Elizabeth McCourt, Erin Mosher, Madison Rachiele, Braden Scott, Anna Smith, Carly Summerson, Caitlin Tokar, Allyson Youngs and Arianna Zaccour.

Student scholarship recipients, areas of study, hometowns, and respective scholarships include:

• Jordan Budd, junior, double majoring in Communication: Journalism and Music Industry, from Red Hook - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
• Hunter Halterman, junior, double majoring in Communication: Video Production and Communication: Audio/Radio Production, from Salamanca - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
• Alex Needham, junior, majoring in Communication: Video Production, from Westlake, Ohio - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
• Carlie Curtis, sophomore, double majoring in Communication: Communication Studies and Business Administration Management, from Hornell - Arthur R. Maytum Scholarship;
• Matthew Volz, sophomore, majoring in Communication: Journalism, from Allegany - Louis C. and Dr. S. David Adler Scholarship;
• Joshua Ribacove, junior, double majoring in Communication: Audio/Radio Production and Music, from Williamsville - Edward S. Edelman Scholarship;
• Andrea Veléz-Davis, senior, double majoring in  Communication: Journalism and Theatre Arts, from Stormville - Anne Bernstein Memorial Fund;
• Anna Smith, junior, Communication: Audio/Radio Production, from Corning - Dan Berggren Excellence in Audio/Radio Scholarship;
• Chloe Kowalyk, junior, double majoring in Communication: Journalism and Psychology, from Cheektowaga - Anthony J. Ellis Scholarship;
• Erin McSweeny, junior, majoring in Communication Studies, from Buffalo - Richard and Pamela Ryan Scholarship
• Justin Carrington, junior, double majoring in  Communication: Audio/Radio Production and Communication: Video Production, from the Bronx - Chilberg Applied Communication Award;
• Hailey Cole, junior, double majoring in Communication: Public Relations and Communication: Communication Studies, from Geneseo - The Ann Reynolds Carden Public Relations Star Award;
• Madison Velez, junior, majoring in  Communication: Video Production, from New York City - Kathleen McDonough Communication Scholarship; and,
• Rachel Bayer, first-year, double majoring in Communication: Public Relations and Sports Management, from Pittsburgh, Pa. - Arlie Muller Parks Scholarship;

The Fredonia Department of Communication, founded in the spring of 1981, strives to foster an understanding of the role, process, and practice of communication through teaching, research/creative work, and service. The department offers a comprehensive program with majors in audio, video, communication studies, journalism, media management, and public relations.