For Immediate Release
May 14, 2014

Largest Class Ever, Mother-Daughter and Grandmother-Granddaughter Among Record 4,189 Degree Recipients.

Suffolk County Community College will confer degrees on a record 4,189 students at its 2014 commencement on Sunday May 18, including a grandmother and granddaughter and mother daughter graduates.

Kathleen Kearney, 66, of Sayville will graduate with her granddaughter, Emily Espenkotter, 20, of Shoreham and Shirley residents Deborah Rehm, 56 and her daughter Amanda Rehm, 23 will each receive degrees at Suffolk’s 52nd commencement.

Kearney said she credits her granddaughter with motivating her to complete her degree.

“I had been taking a courses here and there while I was working as a nurse’s aide,” said Kearney who enrolled at Suffolk in 1997.  “My granddaughter, Emily, asked me how many courses I needed to complete my degree and urged me to graduate with her. She motivated me,” said Kearney, who will graduate with a degree in Liberal Arts and General Studies.  Kearney said the she has been bitten by the learning bug and plans to continue her education at Empire State College and pursue a bachelor’s degree. Granddaughter Emily, a 2012 graduate of Shoreham Wading River High School, majored in early childhood development, Kearney said.

Deborah Rehm, 56, and her daughter Amanda, 23, are excited to be graduating together. Deborah said she plans to continue her education at St. Josephs College and her goal is to open a health care business. Rehm said her daughter Amanda will be attending Stony Brook University this fall and dreams of becoming an art teacher.

“I had a wonderful experience,” Deborah Rehm said.

Suffolk County Community College Graduation Facts
Suffolk County Community College’s Class of 2014 Commencement Ceremony is Sunday, May 18, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. in the Field House of the Health, Sports and Education Center on the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood.  The college is graduating a record 4,189 students.

Social Media
The college will be using #SUNYSFLK2014 hash tag to identify graduation photos etc. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Our social media channels are: Twitter: @SUNYSFLK, Instagram SUNYSFLK and Facebook  SUFFOLKCCC

Grand Marshal
Dr. June Ohrnberger, Professor of English as a Second Language and Director of the College’s ESL program, has been selected as this year’s Grand Marshal.

William Moore, Esq. – Keynote address
The graduation keynote address will be delivered by William Moore, Esq. Mr. Moore served on the College’s Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2009 and was elected its chairman from 2004 to 2009.  Mr. Moore was the driving force behind the introduction of board self-assessment and a focus on policy development.  A graduate of the Vermont Law School, Mr. Moore was on the prestigious Law Review. Admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and Federal District Court for the Eastern District, he is a Member of the New York State Bar Association.

Student Speakers
The college’s student graduation speakers are Danielle Safaty from the Michael J. Grant Campus, Ramona Miranda from the Eastern Campus, and Elizabeth Ammenwerth from the Ammerman Campus.

Danielle Safaty is graduating with an honors diploma in liberal arts with an emphasis in biology. A 2012 Hauppauge High School graduate, Danielle enrolled at Suffolk when she was 16 years old. She recently received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence and is a Get There from Here Scholarship recipient. Passionate about pursuing a career in medicine, Danielle is a member of three honors societies: Phi Theta Kappa, Psi Beta, and Sigma Kappa Delta and served as president of three student clubs: The Natural Science and Discovery Club, The Chemistry Club, and the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Journal Club.  Danielle plans to transfer to SUNY Upstate Medical University where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in biomedical technology.  Her goal is to become a doctor of medicine.

Ramona Miranda is graduating with a diploma in liberal arts.  Born in Managua, Nicaragua, she arrived on Long Island when she was 2.  A 2005 graduate of Greenport High School, she was selected for the 2014 edition of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges that honors our nation’s leading students.  Ramona will be attending LIU Post this fall and plans on majoring in international studies with a minor in political science. She will also begin an internship with the United Nations, which aligns with her career goal to one day become a peacekeeper or a UN ambassador.

Elizabeth Ammenwerth will graduate with a degree in business administration. Elizabeth became a member of Suffolk’s Honors College after her first semester.  By her third semester, she was selected to receive a Get There From Here Scholarship. Today, she credits the scholarship support from the College’s Foundation for helping her earn her degree. Most recently, Elizabeth was recognized with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.  A member of multiple honors organizations, she still finds time to participate in a full schedule of campus and community activities.  She is President of the Community Service Club, member of Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma, Communication Chair of the Club Board, and has advocated on behalf of the College before the state legislature, all while going to school full-time and maintaining a family.  Chosen by the Ammerman Campus as the Daniel B. Deponte Student of the Year, she  is a resident of Bayport. Elizabeth’s goal is to own a specialty food store.