2018-2019

Class of 2019: Nicolette Tepeneu

Hi, everyone! My name is Nicolette Tepeneu and I am a senior at Baruch College majoring in Accounting. This will be my fourth year serving on the Council. I previously served as VP of Academic Affairs and look forward to continuing the great work MSC does!

Class of 2020: Christian Buonamassa

Buongiorno! My name is Christian Ralph Buonamassa. I am a member of the Macaulay Honors at Baruch College, Class of 2020, and proudly represent us in the Council! I’m an Accounting major, with our minor in Interdisciplinary NYC Studies, and I’m also minoring in Computer Applications in Business. I am a proud Italian-American from Massapequa, New York (Long Island represent), and currently reside in Manhattan. Some of my interests include Italian Culture, old school music and movies, sports, exercise, video games, and spending time with my friends and family. My roles here at Macaulay include being the President of the Baruch Chapter of the Macaulay Business Club, Vice President of Macaulay’s Italian Cultural Society, and VP of Finance for the Macaulay Scholars Council! I also just finished up an internship, over the past year, on the Asset Management Tax Team of Goldman Sachs. Next summer, I will be interning on the Financial Services Office Tax Team at Ernst and Young, which I’m extremely excited about! As I mentioned earlier, I’m the VP of Finance for our Council. This is a position I’m very grateful to hold, as I love every aspect of what we do. This year, we are in charge of allocating the portion of Macaulay’s Student Activities Budget that’s intended for our clubs. This is a lengthy process, but one that is crucial to ensuring that our clubs are able to build upon their success, year after year. Last year’s VP of Finance, Chris Cali, did a great job of optimizing the process as a whole, and I will ensure that it runs smoothly, and continue to seek any method of making it more transparent and helpful. We also are working alongside the Macaulay administration on one of our largest fundraising initiatives of the year, Giving Tuesday! Without Giving Tuesdays of the past, many of our club activities would be impossible, so we will ensure the best effort on our part to continue that positive trend. It’s an absolute honor to serve on the Macaulay Scholars Council for a third year now, and a second one on our E-board! There aren’t many groups I know of that can compare, in terms of passion and motivation, towards providing such a positive experience, to a much larger group of people. I’m excited for another great year with you all! Thank you, and God bless.

Class of 2021: Yina Torres

Hi everyone! My name is Yina Torres. I’m a finance major and a sociology minor and this is my first year as a Scholars Council representative. I’m in the IT/Communications committee and I’m excited to be a part of the Scholars Council! My favorite activities include watching documentaries, doing makeup, and going to concerts. I am one of those people that shows up to a concert 12 hours before the show to get first row, so if that doesn’t show how dedicated I am, I don’t know what will. Please feel free to message me if you ever have any questions at yina.torres@macaulay.cuny.edu.

Class of 2022: Nicholas Cocozzelli

Hey everyone! My name is Nicholas Cocozzelli and I’m this year’s Freshman Representative from Baruch College. I’m currently serving on the Council’s Campus Affairs committee. I want to help encourage others to be more involved within the Macaulay Community. I believe student government plays an essential part in giving others the drive to be more active in the school community. During high school I served as President of our National Honor Society chapter, founded our first ever Democratic Club, and helped launch our Media Club. I aim to continue to be a contributive student through my time on Scholars Council, while also inspiring others to do the same. It is amazing what can come about with some good determination.

Class of 2019: Maisha Kamal

Hello everyone! My name is Maisha and I’m a senior from Brooklyn College. As this is my third year on the council, my bio and goals really haven’t changed much (and it turns out I said this last year too). Hoping to make this year impactful and build on the progress of last year while continuing to help the Council make a name for itself. Cheers!

Class of 2020: Caroline Zuba

Hi y’all! My name is Caroline Zuba, and I am the VP of Campus Affairs/Brooklyn College Class of 2020 representative. I am also a CUNY B.A. student studying Comparative Labor Studies, and a Lead Organizer over at TEDxCUNY. I’m super excited to be working with Macaulay clubs this year and getting to know everyone! Please feel free to reach me on Facebook or email at zubacaroline@gmail.com at anytime! Love you all!

Class of 2021: Christine Chow

Hey everyone! My name is Christine and I am the representative for Brooklyn College’s Class of 2021 on the Macaulay Scholars Council. I am incredibly honored to hold this position and I can’t wait to see what the year ahead holds for us. I’m excited to be a part of this council because I want to represent your voices and make continuous strides towards the improvement of Macaulay. I am currently majoring in biology on the pre-med track. My hobbies include swimming, playing golf, and volunteering at hospitals and humanitarian foundations. I’m super active and always up for an adventure, so hit me up if you ever decide to go skydiving, ziplining, exploring the city, or something along those lines!! If you ever feel the need to reach me, feel free to email me at chowchristine03@gmail.com or add me on Facebook! Here’s to a great year!!

Class of 2022: Gennady Vulakh

Hello! My name is Gennady Vulakh, but if you get tired of feeling like you’re sneezing every time you say my name, Gena is just fine! I’m the class of ’22 Brooklyn College representative and I am so excited to be on the Council this year. I am an open, friendly, loud, and energetic person who’s always willing to hear out your problems and make sure they’re brought to the people who can address them. There’s never a bad time to say hello, so feel free to reach out to me anytime!

Class of 2019: Isabella Joseph

Hey everyone! My name is Isabella Joseph and I am currently a fourth year student majoring in Architecture with an intended minor in Anthropology at City College (Architecture takes five years so I am weirdly in both the Class of 2019 & 2020.) I am passionate about furthering my understanding of the relationship between people, places, and their environment and I hope that this understanding will guide my development as a future architect. In the rare moments when I’m not in studio, you can catch me at an art museum or on a couch watching old reruns of Law and Order: SVU. This will be my first year serving you all as a class representative on the Macaulay Scholars Council. As a member of the Academic Affairs Committee, I am particularly looking to expand the support and resources Macaulay offers to students pursuing nontraditional majors and careers. I am always eager to hear suggestions from you all so please feel free to reach out to me at isabella.joseph@macaulay.cuny.edu.

Class of 2020: Samah Islam

The name’s Samah, pronounced “want summa dis,” Class of 2020, though shame my vision ain’t 20-20. It means above all, so I guess it’s fitting I’m the Scholars Council President this year. KIDDING. Kidding. I’m so so so humbled to have the honor of serving the Macaulay student body for the 2018-2019 year. Macaulay is near and dear to my heart and I’ll admit, my goal in high school was to one day become President of the Council and here I am today. Macaulay has done more than I can put to words for me and as President this year, my intentions are to allow for Macaulay students to benefit from the wonderful opportunities we have, and have as rewarding of an experience as possible whether it be academically, or socially. We’re working on a ton of great things this year. As you may already know we’ve been asking YOU how you feel about the current GPA requirement in place and have taken the steps towards ensuring we do what’s best for students and the college at large by communicating with administration and bringing your concerns directly to them. We’re working on celebrating diversity, inclusivity, and our differences in the form of an event that’ll bring all students of varying backgrounds together for the Spring. We’re hoping to promote the beauty and resources of Macaulay to potential future Macaulay students by working with admissions to ensure we bring in the cream of the crop and keep the Macaulay culture of diligence, wholesomeness, and initiative going for years to come. We’ve raised over $42,000 dollars for Macaulay student activities owed to Giving Tuesday. And we’d LOVE to hear from you. Any ideas, questions, comments, concerns, cries of outrage, I’m your girl. Or contact one of our wonderful 32 reps! Please reach out! We’re here for each other. 🙂 

Class of 2021: Royal Sharma

Class of 2022: Nabeela Mustafa

Hey guys! My name is Nabeela Mustafa and I am the freshman representative of City College. It is an honor to be able to serve on the Scholars Council my freshman year and I look forward to helping my fellow peers become more involved in their community throughout the year.

Class of 2020: Sam George

Hi guys! My name is Sam George (yes, I know I have two first names) and I am the representative for Hunter College Class of 2020. I am currently majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Biological Sciences and Economics. I am also serving on the Committee for Academic Affairs and trying to improve the Macaulay experience. Some of my hobbies include playing music (guitar and bass), producing music, and photography. I look forward to working with all the other representatives to improve your Macaulay experience.

Class of 2021: Peter Simonetti

Class of 2021: Camryn Buonamassa

Hi everyone. I’m Camryn Buonamassa, the Senior Representative of Hunter College in the 2018-2019 Macaulay Scholars Council. I am from Massapequa on Long Island. I am a member of the Community Service Committee and am very excited to help facilitate events that will bring our community together to give back. I am a sophomore computer science major, and I’m in the Women in Computer Science Club at Hunter. I interned at MediaMath (through the help of WiTNY–check them out!) and at New York Community Bancorp in the IT department. Some of my hobbies include singing, playing piano, playing tennis, knitting, and boating. I am honored to be a representative this year and can’t wait to see you at our events.

Class of 2022: Arvind Dev

Hey! I’m Arvind Dev, the Hunter College Class of 2022 representative! I’m currently interested in studying Bioinformatics and Journalism. Some of my hobbies include writing, playing card games, and crying over my favorite TV shows like HTGAWM. I’m really excited to be a part of the council this year and am looking forward to serving on the IT/Communications committee to improve communication between campuses.

Class of 2019: Jonathan Penuela

Hi! I’m Jon, John Jay’s senior representative! I’m thrilled to be serving on the Macaulay Scholars Council for a fourth year–it’s been a blast. I spent my first year on the IT/Communications Committee, my next two years on the Academic Affairs Committee, the past semester as Vice President of Academic Affairs, and I’m now on the Campus Affairs committee. I think the Scholars Council is an important actor in bringing together the Macaulay campuses and advocating for an improving student experience. Back at John Jay, I am studying Political Science and Economics, hoping to work in public policy someday. And, outside of John Jay, I love biking and reading. I am hopeful and eager for the great year that awaits us! All the best, An innocent villager

Class of 2020: Isaac Paredes

Class of 2021: Dylan Senkiw

Hello everyone! My name is Dylan Senkiw, and I am the John Jay representative for the class of 2021. This is my second year on the council and I will be the VP of Community Service this year. My goals include using community service as a way to build community within Macaulay as well as providing accessible community service events for all Macaulay students. I am a political science and computer science major and I aim to attend law school after graduation. Some of my hobbies include volleyball, traveling and learning languages, and I always love to try new things. I am eager to work with the rest of the Macaulay Scholars Council representatives this year, and I hope to make some valuable progress.

Class of 2022: Aaron Fernando

Hi there! My name is Aaron Fernando and I’m the Freshman Representative from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, majoring in Law & Society. I’m excited to be a part of the Council this year and take part in the Campus Affairs and Finance Committees, as I work to make Macaulay clubs the best that they can be by ensuring they have all the resources they require. You can usually find me sleeping in the John Jay lounge or the Macaulay reading room, whichever has the closest couch for me to crash on.

Class of 2019: Javiera Morales-Reyes

Javiera Morales-Reyes. Senior at Lehman College, double majoring in English Literature and in History. My research interests lie in 17th century religious writing, mainly female, in relation to chastity, virtue, and allegiances. I’m hoping to get my Ph.D in English and teach at the college level.

Class of 2020: Victoria Smith

Hello everyone! My name is Victoria and I’m a junior from Lehman College studying Philosophy and Political Science. This is my first year on the council, and I am very eager to work with my fellow MSC members to accomplish our personal and collective goals. As a member of the IT/Communications Committee, I aim to keep your Instagrams, Facebooks, and other Macaulay related social medias #blessed with fliers, important updates, and fantastic photos! Be sure to follow us and follow up if you have any questions – we’re here to keep you informed! *dabs*

Class of 2021: Sebastian Leung

Hey everyone! My name is Sebastian and I am currently a sophomore at Lehman College, majoring in Political Science and Business. This is my second year on the Scholars Council, and for this year I’ll be serving as your VP of Student Life. As your VP of Student Life, my mains goals for this year is to work with my committee to plan fun, relevant events for everyone to attend and get to know each other better. I hope to also be able to represent all of hte student needs and make the Macaulay experience better for everyone! When I am not doing school work or other tasks, I enjoy playing video games (on PC), working out, playing sports, and reading about politics and business news. I’m looking forward to a great year as your VP of Student Life!

Class of 2022: Marie-Elise Milius

Hey everyone! My name is Marie-Elise Milius and I am a freshman at Lehman College. This is my first year on the Scholars Council. I am interested in pursuing a career in Business Administration and Finance. I enjoy playing volleyball, Netflix and playing with my cats, Darling and Jazz. Hope everyone will enjoy the events we have in store!

Class of 2019: Kristen Cournane

Hey everyone! My name is Kristen Cournane and I am currently a Senior at Macaulay Queens. I am an Accounting major and will be beginning to take my CPA exam this Winter. After graduation, I will be starting a full time position with Ernst & Young (better known as EY), and I’m super excited! This will be my fourth and final year serving on the Council, so I am definitely also feeling nostalgic—the Council has taught me how to be a leader, how to work well in a team, and most importantly, has given me a group of wonderful friends (including people within our administration)! So, with that said, THANK YOU MSC for a wonderful chunk of life that I will absolutely never forget!

Class of 2020: Destany Batista

Class of 2021: Rebecca Gorovoy

Hello everyone! My name is Rebecca Gorovoy and I am the current representative of the sophomore class at Queens College. I am currently majoring in psychology and hoping to add on a major in neuroscience. This is my first year on the council and I am very excited to be serving on the Student Life committee! I strive to help organize events to strengthen the overall Macaulay community, and to share the thoughts and opinions of my home campus peers with the community. Here’s to a great year!

Class of 2022: Rebecca Yaminian

Hey fellow Macaulay Honors students! My name is Rebecca Yaminian, and I am a freshman at Queens College. I absolutely love to stay active, which includes hitting up the gym, playing soccer on the weekends, and hiking here and there. Also, I am a huge fan of spending time with family and friends, giving back to the community, exploring what NYC has to offer, and trying new things (taking naps is obviously a given). This is my first year on Macaulay Scholars Council, and I will be serving on the Community Service committee. I am very excited to contribute to this council and feel honored to be a part of this journey, as my main goal is to voice your ideas and concerns. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time during the year. All of you have to do is email me at rebecca.yaminian@macaulay.cuny.edu. I am more than happy to help!

Class of 2019: Genevieve Buccigrossi

Hello! My name is Genevieve and I am a senior at the College of Staten Island. This will be my second year as a member of the Scholars Council and I am excited for the upcoming year. I will be apart of the Campus Affairs committee where I want to make sure there is a better connection between campuses. A little bit about me is that I am an accounting major and I love just about anything that has to do with numbers. I am a huge baseball fan who watches just about every Yankee game (Let’s go Yankees!!). In my spare time I love to watch movies, solve Sudoku puzzles, go shopping and hang out with my family and friends. I’m looking forward to a great year!

Class of 2020: Sharfa Ahmad

Hello! My name is Sharfa Ahmad. I am the representative for the College of Staten Island, Class of 2020. This is my second year on the council and I am very excited to be given this opportunity to get more involved this year.

Class of 2021: Shawn Abraham

Hey everyone! My name is Shawn Abraham, and I am the Macaulay Scholars Council Representative for the class of 2021 at the College of Staten Island. This is my second year on the council. I am a member of the IT/ Communications Committee. I currently work for the Dan Donovan for Congress Campaign and am active at the SI GOP Office. Fun fact: I was featured in a local TV ad for this very campaign and I am a Notary Public. I am an information system major and I aim to work to in the IT field. My dream is to someday go into politics and run for office. Some of my hobbies include playing the piano, reading, and traveling to far places. I am very excited to once again work with the rest of the Macaulay Scholars Council representatives this year, and I hope to achieve great progress this year.

Class of 2022: Michael Stora

Hello everyone! My name is Michael Stora and I am the Freshman Representative for the Macaulay Scholars Council from the College of Staten Island. In the council I hope to be involved and make a positive impact, along with learning as much as I can about Macaulay. I am a part of the IT/Communications committee, providing support in communication among the students and council. I am majoring in Accounting, as well as minoring in Finance. Also, I am on the Men’s Swimming and Diving Team at the College of Staten Island. In my spare time I enjoy watching movies, my favorite being The Pursuit of Happyness. Also, my favorite athlete is Derrick Rose. If there are any questions for me feel free to reach out at Michael.Stora@Macaulay.cuny.edu