Exceptional Students to be Honored at Commencement

Three outstanding members of the Class of 2009 will receive the top student awards at Commencement on Sunday, May 17.

Kelly Cipriano, an illustration major in the Hartford Art School, will receive the Belle K. Ribicoff Prize, which is awarded for academic excellence. Cipriano is an award-winning illustrator whose work is currently on display at the Museum of American Illustration in Manhattan. She is just one of 100 student illustrators, from nearly 6,000 candidates, selected by the Society of Illustrators to have their work displayed at the museum. Cipriano is a gifted student who has maintained a 3.9 grade point average, and she also is a recognized campus leader, having served as a resident assistant in Regents Park. Her ultimate goal is to work in the music industry, designing album covers for CDs.

Daniel Hultgren is the winner of the John G. Martin Scholarship. The scholarship provides students with an extraordinary opportunity – two years of study at Oxford University’s Hertford College in England. Hultgren is the first student to graduate with a dual major in physics and philosophy, two of the most demanding programs at the University of Hartford. He clearly excelled in both areas, with an overall grade point average of 3.95. His professors describe Hultgren as one of the most gifted students they have ever seen, and marvel at his ability to excel in such diverse disciplines. Hultgren’s long-term goal is to earn his PhD and teach at a small liberal arts college.

The John G. Lee Medal will go to Maegen Garthwaite, an accounting major in the Barney School of Business. The medal is given each year to a graduating senior from Greater Hartford who has excelled academically and demonstrated a deep commitment to the community. Garthwaite has maintained a 3.86 GPA, and has been on the Dean’s List and President’s List every semester. She received the Senior Merit Award in accounting, was picked to represent the University at the State Capitol for Collegiate Academic Day on May 6, and was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for business students, for her academic achievements. Garthwaite also is a very active member of the Barney Leadership Council. She helped to connect students with local business leaders and organized fundraising drives for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Toys for Tots. She’s equally active outside the classroom, raising money for the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, volunteering for FoodShare, and supporting Red Cross blood drives. Garthwaite will join CIGNA’s prestigious accounting development track program in August.