Graduate Spotlight
2023

When Helene Haegerstrand first arrived on the UAlbany campus in 2019 she was faced with more adjustments that most first-year students face. 

Growing up in Sweden meant that Haegerstrand needed to take courses taught in a different language while adapting to a time zone six hours behind her home in Stockholm. She also needed to learn the social mores, habits and peculiarities of her fellow Great Danes while adjusting to an entirely new array of food options available to her in New York.

“It’s very different and hard to adjust to another culture, but it’s also the most rewarding thing I have ever exposed myself to,” said Haegerstrand, who also managed the added pressure of being a student-athlete as a member of the women’s basketball team.

Now, as she prepares to earn her bachelor’s degree in business administration on Saturday during the undergraduate commencement ceremony at UAlbany, Haegerstrand has learned to rely on patience and hard work to accomplish her goals. 

Her efforts have paid off.

After four years of success on the court and in the classroom, she was recently honored as the 2023 America East Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

A member of the 2019-20 America East All-Rookie team and a two-time First Team All-America East honoree, Haegerstrand finished eight semesters at UAlbany with a stellar 3.6 GPA, also completing a minor in sociology. 

In addition, she helped guide her team in 2022 to the America East Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, all while dealing with the challenges of being unable to travel home during the school year. The college basketball season barely slows down during December and January when many students are enjoying a winter break. Taking an 8,000-mile roundtrip flight to and from Stockholm just isn’t an option.

“Due to our season, we international students do not have the possibility to go home during the year but I have been lucky that my family has been able to come visit me,” said Haegerstrand. “It’s hard to be so far away and deal with the time difference, but it is something you can handle. Facetime helps a lot and knowing that my family fully supports my choices and that we still are just as close as we were before I moved is the best feeling.”

Haegerstrand adds that her parents, Anders and Caroline, and her sister Anna love to follow her games from Sweden and do their best to be a part of her life in Albany. She is grateful for their love and support.

And Haegerstrand will continue to rely on her family’s guidance as she contemplates a career in consulting, recruiting or another similar field.

“I have many role models and people I look up to such as my mom, my close friends and my sister,” said Haegerstrand. “I always want to make my sister proud but when it comes to bigger things, I picture myself in 10 years and try to think of how I want that version of me to be. That has always been a big motivating factor for me throughout my life.”

She also has advice for the next crop of students who arrive at UAlbany in the fall of 2023.

“I would try to say that it is just as important to enjoy the hard times as it is to enjoy the good times,” Haegerstrand said. “There will always be hard things coming at you, but it is all about how you choose to approach them, so enjoy everything and take advantage of being in a position where you can meet new people and learn new things.”

Haegerstrand also has sage words for those students who like her must deal with the added challenge of adjusting to life in a new country.

“My biggest advice for international students coming in, I would say is to have patience,” she said. “The language will be hard, new relationships will be hard, and managing time for totally new habits will be hard but be patient and do not be too hard on yourself. Be patient and it will be great!”

Growing up in the South Bronx, University at Albany senior Emmanuel Berkoh loved football and had dreams, like many of his friends, of making it to the National Football League.

Then, freshman year of high school, he tore his ACL, the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. That changed everything.

“I played football all of my life and loved the game,” said Berkoh. “When I tore my ACL, the recovery gave me a lot of time to think deeper about what I was doing with my life. I wanted to make a name for myself and my family, outside of football.”

Berkoh and his five siblings, three sisters and two older brothers, are children of first-wave Ghanaian immigrants. His parents moved to New York City as teenagers with one thing on their mind, for their children to be successful. The family lived in a two-bedroom apartment, which was also open to extended family members who needed a place to stay.

Following his football injury, Berkoh discovered “Futures and Options,” a non-for-profit and paid internship program on Wall Street that empowers New York City's youth, particularly youth of color and students from historically underrepresented communities, to acquire transferable professional skills, pursue higher education and successfully compete in a global 21^st-century economy.

The program was Berkoh’s first exposure to corporate America.

“On my first day as a high school sophomore intern at Morgan Stanley, I noticed I was one of only two minority

individuals present. Sitting at the same table as senior executives and discussing new company initiatives was exhilarating,” Berkoh said. "At that moment, I realized that I had the potential to become a part of this world, but it was imperative that I not only work diligently to achieve my goal but also help others along the way.”

For the next few years, Berkoh continued to shift his focus from the field to the classroom, initially enrolling at Farmingdale State College on Long Island to pursue a nursing degree, as his parents hoped he would join the medical field.

However, it did not feel the same as when he visited Morgan Stanley or similar large companies in high school. Instead, it was a work-study job that helped him discover his true passion—cybersecurity.

“At Farmingdale, I devoted much of my time working alongside the senior network administrator for the School of Business," Berkoh recalled. "I would often skip class just to learn everything from him, observing how he made alterations to the campus networks. 

“That’s when I realized it was time for a change and UAlbany was the perfect fit for me.”
 

Shortly after switching his major, Berkoh discovered UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) and, as a sophomore, decided to transfer in pursuit of a degree in Informatics with a concentration in cybersecurity. 

At UAlbany, Berkoh has immersed himself into the campus community, serving as a resident assistant on Indigenous Quad, Student Association elections commissioner, Campus Center management student technical staff and an intern at CEHC’s Hack-IoT Lab.

"I recognized that I had to be the best version of myself at UAlbany," Berkoh said. "I concentrated on my academic objectives and ensured that I made the most of every resource accessible to me, both within and beyond the classroom setting.”

Among those resources was Noah Simon, director of Career Planning in UAlbany’s Career Services Office. Through Simon, Berkoh connected with Stefanos Marcopoulos '07, MS '08, vice president of Global Risk and Compliance at American Express (AMEX) and president of the UAlbany Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Marcopoulos was creating a new internship program for UAlbany students, and Berkoh, along with another student at CEHC and two at the School Business, were the first program interns to work with the AMEX Global Risk and Compliance Organization last summer.

"It was truly humbling to work at the World Trade Center daily, interacting with senior business leaders, stakeholders and colleagues. I soon recognized that I belonged in this environment and, more importantly, could help pave the way for other scholars that look like me and work just as hard as I do to sit at the same table.”
 

During Berkoh’s final week, he was offered a full-time position following graduation, working within AMEX’s Technology Risk and Information Security department as an Information Security Analyst. He’ll be back working at the World Trade Center this fall.

On top of his career, Berkoh also hopes to start his own internship program and scholarship foundation. He teamed up with several friends last summer to launch a new, annual mentorship event “TheGiftedMembers: Project Influence,” which is focused on mentoring and building networks for the teens in his neighborhood. 

“Something has to change,” Berkoh said. “The core concept of this event was to show the kids and teens that individuals from similar backgrounds have become successful professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. By witnessing these success stories, they will understand that they can accomplish anything if they are determined and focused."

His message to UAlbany students? Take advantage of your time here.

“The University is a two-way street. You have to be a scholar and positively represent yourself, while also honing in all of the resources offered on campus. There are so many great people here that want to see you succeed.”

Honors College senior and biology major Corey Nilon came to the University at Albany with a keen interest in science and a desire to study medicine. He also knew that gaining research experience would play an important role towards a career in the medical field. 

Initially unsure as to the shape this might take, Nilon responded to an email from the University about getting involved in research at the start of his sophomore year. The next day, he was introduced to a project that not only spanned the rest of his undergraduate career, but also culminated in a senior thesis, which he presented at the University’s inaugural Showcase Day on April 27. 
 

Nilon has been working with Annalisa Scimemi, associate professor of biological sciences, to study the cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), focusing on the behavior of a particular gene in mice. The research ultimately could shed light on how to more effectively treat a broader range of neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer’s disease and autism spectrum disorders. 

“Prior research comparing mouse genomes has found an association between mice exhibiting hyperactivity and mutations on the gene that we are targeting in the study,” Nilon said. “For three years, I have been training mice to see how mutations in this gene are reflected in their behavior.”

To train the mice, Nilon has used a reward system wherein he feeds them

sips of normal drinking water, which is less acidic and far tastier than the sour water they are accustomed to drinking in their home cages.

“First, we observed baseline mouse behavior in a controlled environment. Then we added a lever that when pressed, dispenses a small amount of drinking water, which tastes good and incentivizes the mice to keep pressing.”

The team observed mice with and without the target gene mutation as they interacted with the lever press. They also added a timed component. 

“One of the more advanced tasks I run is timed. Within six seconds, the mice have to press the lever eight times, in sequence, to receive the water reward. We found that mice with the mutation on the target gene are much better at this task than mice without the mutation. This indicates that these mutant mice are more compulsive and more likely to engage in reward-based behaviors.

“When we think of clinical OCD, there is a wide spectrum of symptoms that people with the disorder can experience; however, a common trait is exhibiting increased anxiety and trying to compensate for it. We think that when you add a timed component — essentially telling these mice that they need to press the lever within a narrow timeframe to receive the reward — this causes an anxiety-like response which induces compulsivity and the action of continued pressing for relief.”
 

Outside the lab, Nilon spends much of his time working in the neuroprogressive unit at Albany Medical Center. 

“I first started at Albany Med as a volunteer during my freshman year. I would go room to room across many departments in the hospital and would offer patients opportunities for enrichment during their stay like books, puzzles, a friendly visit from therapy dogs and, if desired, religious counsel.”

He now works as a patient care associate (PCA).

“Shift to shift, I work under the discretion of the nurse. My normal duties comprise helping patients who have neurological disorders in carrying out activities of daily life. But, I’ve also sat in on numerous neurosurgeries and have even assisted during the procedures. It’s crazy seeing doctors use big hammers and power drills to cut through skulls; sometimes the unit feels like a construction zone.”

Post-graduation, Nilon plans to go to school to become a physician’s assistant. 

“Between my work in the lab and my work in the hospital, I’ve gotten to see the clinical side of neuroscience and also the research side. After working in the hospital for nearly three years, my experience there has confirmed that it is, indeed, what I want to do with my life.”
 

Nilon has been involved in the Special Olympics as a unified partner since before high school. He joined UAlbany’s Special Olympics Club as a freshman, and since taking the reins as president during his sophomore year, has grown the number of people involved in the club, as well as the variety of sports offered. 

“We recently bridged together Special Olympics NY and Disability Champions Mentoring Network, which is an NYC-based group focused on enhancing special education transition programming for underserved youth with disabilities, in addition to creating an authentic community of support. We did a collaboration with them recently held at a new sensory gym in Albany called ‘Bring on the Spectrum.’ I hope to see more collaborations like this one happen in the club’s future.

“The number one thing I’ve gained from being involved in Special Olympics is friendship. We’ve closely worked with the same individuals for over three years and when you see and compete in sports with someone every week for that length of time, you really get to know each other. It’s awesome that despite the differences present among us, in age, background and culture, we can come together and host a unified sports league—and it’s so much fun. The ease with which that comes is the best part for me.” 

When Christina Cucinotta first enrolled at UAlbany, she envisioned pursuing a career as a biochemist, developing cosmetics derived from natural components rather than the mass-produced, potentially harmful products that dominated the market at the time. UAlbany offered an affordable education close to her home. Bolstered by the promise of a graduate scholarship upon completion of her bachelor’s degree, the decision was an easy one.

The year was 2006. Cucinotta was an excellent student at her high school in Niskayuna, earning Advance Placement  credits in chemistry to ease the transition into her first choice of major at UAlbany, biochemistry.

Unfortunately, Cucinotta’s first experience with college life was anything but smooth. Classwork piled high and she found herself unable to meet course expectations. She was at a complete loss as to what had changed to make her time in college so overwhelming and strenuous as learning had always come naturally to her.

The answer came by way of a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 2010, a learning disability that affects executive functioning. Even though her question had been answered, the damage was done. Her GPA had tumbled and she was academically dismissed in 2011.

The road back to UAlbany started with getting a better sense of who she was. The diagnosis was the beginning of understanding what made her unique, starting with a new approach to the way she managed her world so that she could create her success. 

She credits her mother, an award-winning piano teacher who specializes in teaching students with disabilities. Cucinotta called her mom her cheerleader and biggest support as she learned to live alongside her disability. 

“She sent me articles, showed me tips and tricks, helped me build my skills and new behaviors and assisted me with building the structure I needed to succeed,” Cucinotta said. 

After leaving UAlbany, Cucinotta began working in the hospitality field and eventually enrolled at SUNY Schenectady in the hospitality program. Her efforts to understand how to turn her differences into strengths paid off when she graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management in 2017. 

Her next steps were less simple.  As she was preparing to open a small gelato business with her fiancé in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic brought their plans up short. It was the perfect opportunity to complete her bachelor’s degree, but she was faced with two options: apply to other schools and start her education from scratch, or finish what she started at UAlbany — which also meant rebuilding her GPA.

Her first choice was to enter UAlbany’s School of Business, an ambitious goal at her standing. 

“After speaking to the University, I was informed that the process would take at least five semesters,” Cucinotta recalled. “And if I had any hope of achieving my goals upon my return to school, I was going to have to work hard – I had to make up the ground lost with a 1.61 GPA on my return.” 

After consulting family and weighing her options, it was her father's remarks that untangled the decision. “As I was laying out my list of pros and cons, he said to me, very simply, ‘Tina, the three years will pass. You can be 35 with a degree, or 35 without a degree. Everything else is the same, no matter which direction you take.’ My decision became crystal clear.”

Cucinotta approaches her 35^th birthday later this year. Supported in no small part by her fiancé, she will have earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting to accompany her associate’s degree, and will be halfway through earning her Master of Science in Forensic Accounting in addition to working her way through the testing requirements for her CPA license. 

“Nick has been my steadfast rock as I’ve been hanging on through each whirlwind of a semester,” she said. “He made it so that I only had to worry about learning my material. I’m just beyond grateful.”

In addition to the support of her family, Cucinotta is grateful for the boost provided by taking Intermediate Accounting I with Associate Professor of Accounting William Riccardi. The course is regarded as among the most challenging and demanding courses in the accounting and finance curriculums.

“The class presents topics at a breakneck pace. I don’t think I walked out of a single lecture without my head spinning. But Dr. Riccardi really taught me what I needed to know,” she said. “He took the time and made the effort to build out the course in a way that made sense, presenting topics that progressed in difficulty and at the same pace that my understanding did.”

Cucinotta also credits Riccardi with having the flexibility to help her overcome some of the challenges her ADHD presents by allowing her to record his lectures to assist in her review.  

“I’ll admit that I still regularly review those lectures, if not to recall the topics of the course, then to re-create a space where I learned at the highest level I may ever have,” she said.

The Disability Access & Inclusion Student Services (DAISS) has also proved to be a valuable resource as Cucinotta worked to rebuild her academic standing and succeed where she had previously stumbled. 

Cucinotta also credits Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid Meryl Schwalb, who helped her find ways to overcome the financial challenges that came with being a full-time non-traditional student. With federal and state assistance exhausted and facing challenges to pay after losing one of her part-time jobs, Schwalb found a place for her in the federal work-study program. She also informed Cucinotta about the University at Albany Foundation scholarships application — a collection of more than 200 scholarship funds available to assist UAlbany students.

Schwalb and the Foundation identified Cucinotta as eligible for a scholarship through the Edna Craig Memorial Scholarship Fund. Established in 1980 through the will of Edna Craig ’21, the scholarship seeks to assist seniors in overcoming financial obstacles such as those Cucinotta faced. 

“Without being asked, she made it work,” Cucinotta said of Schwalb. “Without her, I wouldn’t be here.”

For Cucinotta, “here” is preparing for the 2023 undergraduate commencement ceremony, which takes place on May 13. 

And as she prepares for the next steps along her career path, Cucinotta offers advice for students who may one day follow in her footsteps across the graduation stage, especially anyone facing the challenges associated with ADHD or other disabilities.

“If you are finding yourself being challenged in a way that is insurmountable, no matter how hard you are trying, reach out to the resources the University has in place for you,” Cucinotta implored. 

When she returned to UAlbany in 2021, it was those resources that helped Cucinotta succeed in ways she once thought would be impossible.

“I think my story holds an important message for those young and old – it’s never too late to start.” 

When Shayla Farris transferred to UAlbany last year, she was feeling lost. Her college career to date had been anything but linear. 

The Kingston native had previously attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., first studying psychology before deciding to pursue a teaching career. But she never quite felt like she belonged there, she said, and then the campus closed indefinitely when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

“I ended up looking at Albany and I'm actually really happy I did,” she said. 

Farris was accepted into the Touhey Family Fellows Program, which provides financial support, mentorship and research opportunities to qualifying UAlbany juniors and seniors who plan to pursue a profession in education or mental health. The program is run by Tammy Ellis-Robinson, assistant professor of special education and educational psychology and methodology for the School of Education.

“The first time I met with Tammy I was distraught and just sat there for a good hour crying, I didn’t even know who she was,” Farris said, referring to how lost she felt at the time.

The program provided Farris with academic, professional and emotional support during a tough transition. She got to hear regularly from graduate students and alumni who had gone through the Touhey program and landed jobs in their chosen fields.

“It's really nice because sometimes in undergrad you look around and you're like, ‘Wow, where's the finish line? I don't see a finish line. This is very stressful.’ And then you see people who were literally in your shoes a year or two ago, and you're like, ‘OK, that’s the finish line.”

Through her involvement with the Student Association, where Farris served as director of disability services, she discovered a passion for policy and politics, and now hopes to pursue a career in educational policymaking. 

In March, Farris spent a week tabling and hosting disability awareness trainings with student leaders, including from Fraternity and Sorority Life. She realized the impact she could make through her advocacy after learning there had been an increase in registration for disability accommodations and services following her workshops.

“I really think that it starts from the ground level of creating the space where you feel welcomed enough to be vulnerable,” she said. “And I'm excited to see if what I've been able to do here, I can do at a greater level.”

Farris is also a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and works as an event coordinator for Eureka!, a program through Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region that provides girls with an introduction to STEM concepts, career exploration and mentorship. 

She was recently accepted into the Peace Corps and will spend 27 months providing educational assistance in schools internationally. Once she returns she hopes to pursue a PhD program in international educational policy, she said.

“College has been a really good experience for me,” she said. “At first, it's like fighting for your life. And you feel like you need to make a direct decision. But you don't. Everything that you gather, whether it's discussing random things with people you see in the hallway, or what you learn in your classes, everything kind of formulates and molds you into who you are, and all your skills and relationships will help you in the future in whatever you choose to do.”