2009 Exemplary Student Award Finalists

These five undergraduates were finalists for the annual Exemplary Student Award. The competition, coordinated by the Exemplary Student Award Committee, honors academic achievement, University involvement and knowledge of campus history. The winner was announced Saturday, Oct. 3, during Homecoming’s Tailgate ’09. The winner will get full tuition for the spring 2010 semester. All other awards are for bookstore credit: second place, $750; third place, $350; fourth place, $200; fifth place, $100.

First Prize:  Jessica Anne Falzone
Jessica Falzone is a junior majoring in English with a minor in women’s studies. The Manhattan native is currently a resident assistant in College-in-the-Woods, a supervisor for the Tour Guide program and Academic Enrichment Coordinator for the Binghamton University Scholars Student Council. Last April, she was chosen to attend the Mid-Atlantic Slavic Conference, during which she participated in the Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky panel and presented her own paper. She collaborated with three other students to write a grant request for the Broome County Humane Society and was awarded a $6,700 grant. She serves as a course assistant for the Engineering Design Division and tutors writing and Italian.


Second Prize (tie):  Lauren W. Schiffman
Lauren Schiffman, a senior accounting major from Hewlett, plans to pursue a career in accounting and law. She is currently president of Alpha Epsilon Phi and is treasurer of the Senior Class Council, having previously served as vice president of academic affairs for Broome Hall and Newing College and treasurer of the Junior Class Council. Lauren has completed internships with both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Manhattan-based accounting firm KPMG, LLP. She is a member of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Scholars Program and the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society.

Second Prize (tie):   Anna Yeo
Anna Yeo is a senior majoring in political science. Yeo, born and raised in the Republic of Korea, pursues higher education in the U.S. with the support of several scholarship awards such as the GE Greatest Generation Scholarship, Tzu Chi Scholarship and Liese B. Fischer Scholarship. The senior, who plans to pursue a career in law, is a member of the Student Conduct Board and Outreach Team. Also interested in international politics and affairs, Yeo is vice president of the Binghamton Model U.N. Club and the founder and president of Global Education Investment. A former intern of the Broome County Public Defender’s Office and private law offices in China and New York, Yeo is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma.


Fourth Prize:  Julie Ann Razryadov
Julie Razryadov is a double major in biological sciences and environmental studies law and is also in the Binghamton Scholars program. She is the Clean Air and Energy Project leader of Binghamton’s NYPIRG. She has been an active participant in many campus clubs, including National Solutions Society, for which she is a co-founder and was vice president for an academic year; Student Environment Awareness Club; and Circle K. She has volunteered her time in Binghamton at the Humane Society, CHOW, American Civic Association and in City Hall as part of the River Trails Committee. After she graduates, she plans to volunteer for the Peace Corps and is hoping to complete a law degree to further her potential as an activist.

Fifth Prize:  Laura Chaath
Laura Chaath is a native of Sayre, Pa. The senior is majoring in political science and history, with a minor in Russian. Chaath is president of College Democrats and managing editor of Prospect Magazine. She is also a member of Habitat for Humanity, the Student Conduct Board and serves as an undergraduate representative to the Department of History. Chaath has worked as an intern for New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, U.S. Congressman Chris Carney (D-Pa.) and the Broome County Legislature. Her post-graduation plans include serving in either the Peace Corps or Teach for America, after which she plans to pursue a career in public interest law. She was the recipient of the Wanda Bartle/Barnes & Noble Book Award.