Marywood University honored its best and brightest from the class of 2026 with 39 endowed medals of recognition during events leading up to and including its 108th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Twp.
The endowed commencement medals each carry their own legacy and criteria, representing some of the university’s most long-standing academic and service honors.
The 2026 Marywood University Commencement Medalists and honorable mentions include the following:
Doctoral medal recipients
William G. Mc Gowan Medal For Excellence In Doctoral Studies – Ph.D.:
Awarded to: Shahub Toosi and Shelby W. Yeager
Honorable Mention: Angela M. Friebolin
William G. Mc Gowan Medal For Excellence In Doctoral Studies – Psy.D.:
Awarded to: Ryan Gardiner
Honorable Mention: Dominique Toscano
Graduate Medal Recipients
Sister Saint Agnes Medal For Excellence In Business:
Awarded to: Paula Mesaris
Honorable Mention: Kathleen Lynott
Geffen Medal For Outstanding Performance In Practicum Education:
Awarded to: Jose Collado
Honorable Mentions: Dawn O’Donnell and Dawn Walker
Haggerty Medal For Leadership And Academic Excellence In Counselor Education:
Awarded to: Sarah Haskell
Honorable Mention: Thi An Hoa Bui
Thomas J. Keenan, M.D. Medal For Excellence In Physician Assistant Program:
Awarded to: Mia Gruler
Polizzi Medal for Scholarship and Community Service:
Awarded to: Madison Hamlin
Undergraduate Medal Recipients
Dolores M. Ackourey Medal for Excellence in Leadership and Human Relations:
Awarded to: Carl (CJ) Shygelski
Honorable Mention: Jocelyn Hittle
Barrett Medal for Outstanding Service and Scholarship in the Field of Legal Studies, History and Criminal Justice:
Awarded to: Joel Cali and Emily McLaughlin
The Sister Regina Barrett Medal for Excellence in Early Childhood Education:
Awarded to: Owen Morgan
Honorable Mentions: Estrella Galvan and Destiny Hallock
J. Harold Brislin Medal for Distinction in Creative Writing:
Awarded to: Lauren O’Brien
Thomas and Norah Clarke Medal for Excellence in Business:
Awarded to: Kate Pallas
Honorable Mention: Zachary Pramik
Sister M. Eva Connors Peace Medal:
Awarded to: Madilyn Grose
Czachor Medal for Distinction in Religious Studies:
Awarded to: Jocelyn Hittle
Honorable Mention: Jacob Muth
Margaret Ruddy Dougherty Medal for Academic Excellence in Special Education:
Awarded to: Maria Johnson
Honorable Mention: Ellen Fago
Mary Grace Loughney Flynn ’39 Medal for Excellence in Music:
Awarded to: Kyle Bonham Jenkins
Honorable Mention: Beatrice Kathryn Chindemi
Edward Gayeski Medal for Excellence in Design:
Awarded to: Rebecca L. Cohick
Sister M. Immaculata Gillespie Medal for Excellence in Secondary Education:
Awarded to: Joel Cali
Honorable Mention: Kailey Stevenson
The Jenkins-Colis Gilroy Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Social Work:
Awarded to: Emerson P. Gellert
Jordan Medal for Excellence in the Social Sciences:
Awarded to: Mikaela Badner
Kappa Gamma Pi Medal for General Excellence:
Awarded to: Noel Korkuti
Rosemary Carroll Kazimer Medal for Excellence in Elementary Education:
Awarded to: Natalie Sweeney
Honorable Mention: Sage Lesh
Sister M. Clare Kelley Medal for Excellence In Music:
Awarded to: Mikaela Jean Clark
Honorable Mention: Gina Nicole Sacco
Sister M. Margrete Kelley Medal for Distinction in Service:
Awarded to: Kelsey Green
Honorable Mention: Carl (CJ) Shygelski
Sister M. Davidica Kildea Medal for Excellence in Voice:
Awarded to: Beatrice Kathryn Chindemi
Honorable Mention: Jocelyn Emily Meyer
Saint Luke Medal for Excellence in Art:
Awarded to: Abigail Wilson
Honorable Mention: Kelsey Green
Margaret T. Lunney Medal for Outstanding Performance in the Study of Communication Sciences and Disorders:
Awarded to: Bethany Burns
Honorable Mention: Vanessa Bompane
Lynett Medal for Academic Distinction in Multimedia Communication Arts:
Awarded to: Charlotte Roscher
Sister Maria Laurence Maher Medal for Excellence in Biological Studies:
Awarded to: Emma Budnovitch
Mary Pace Medal for Excellence in Philosophy:
Awarded to: Jocelyn Hittle
Honorable Mention: Madison Orlando
Medal for Excellence in Psychology:
Awarded to: Stephanie Hicks
Sister M. Sylvia Morgan, IHM Medal for Excellence in Pre-medical Studies:
Awarded to: Carl (CJ) Shygelski
Philip E. Mulry Medal for Excellence in Chemistry:
Awarded to: Jake Jones
Nemotko Medal for Distinction in Nursing:
Awarded to: Morgan Mayne
Dr. Wanda Persichetti Medal for Excellence in Foreign Language:
Awarded to: Lucia Anewalt
Judith Piznar Medal for Leadership and Service to Youth:
Awarded to: Jade Clark
Robert E. Quinnan Medal for Distinguished Service in the Alphonsian and IHM tradition:
Awarded to: Johanna Lettera
Shaffer Medal for Nutrition and Dietetics:
Awarded to: Jenna Collins
Honorable Mention: Marie Traverse
Tama Medal for Excellence in Mathematical Sciences:
Awarded to: Noel Korkuti