Stephanie Berberick will receive the President’s Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate Student and SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence at the 139th Commencement celebration, Saturday, May 14, in the Sports Arena. She will deliver the student address at the 10:00 a.m. baccalaureate ceremony.

Berberick earned a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies and attained an overall GPA of 4.0 while supporting herself and publishing an impressive list of articles in a variety of periodicals.

She completed her associate’s degree at Mohawk Valley Community College before transferring to Buffalo State. In recognition of her academic excellence, Berberick received a scholarship from the Clark Foundation throughout her college career. At Buffalo State, she was inducted into Lambda Pi Eta, the honor society for communication majors. She presented original research, “The Objectification of Women in Mass Media: The Impact of Misogynist Culture on Society and Female Self-Image,” at the 2010 New York State Sociological Association conference. She was also named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges for 2011.

Her academic achievements are equaled by her journalistic accomplishments and her community service. Buffalo Spree published several articles written by Berberick, including a feature article about the Black Rock neighborhood. Artvoice also published a number of articles by Berberick, including two cover stories. She was active in the community, serving as a volunteer media consultant to Frack Action Buffalo Chapter, a public relations mentor to a refugee group, and a volunteer with Jericho Road Ministries.

Berberick, the first college graduate in her family, expressed deep gratitude to her father, who, she wrote, “gave me everything I need to achieve my dreams.” She plans to attend graduate school. Her ultimate goal is to pursue research and writing that will inspire marginalized individuals to persevere and pursue their own dreams.