12 CSCU Students Selected for the Barnard Award, the System’s Highest Academic Honor
The students — enrolled in Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Connecticut State Universities — received the prestigious award for their outstanding academic achievement, on-campus involvement, and dedication to community service.
Twelve outstanding students from the four universities of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system were awarded CSCU’s highest academic honor, the Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Foundation.
The students — enrolled in Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Connecticut State Universities — received the prestigious award for their outstanding academic achievement, on-campus involvement, and dedication to community service. Each student was selected by their respective university and has maintained a minimum grade point average of 3.70 with a record of substantial voluntary service to their universities and communities.
“We are incredibly proud of this year’s Barnard Award recipients, who exemplify the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership, and service,” said CSCU Chancellor Terrence Cheng. “These 12 students represent the very best of our CSCU community and remind us of the transformative power of higher education. We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to see the impact they will make in their communities and beyond."
This is the 37th year the CSCU Foundation has annually awarded the Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award to exemplary students. The award is named for Henry Barnard, the first U.S. Commissioner of Education, Connecticut’s first superintendent of schools and principal of what later became Central Connecticut State University. The CSCU Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports education and research within the four state universities.
The 2025 Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award recipients are:
Central Connecticut State University
- Courtney Chamberland of West Hartford, B.S. Nursing
- Jacob Deschaine of Plainville, B.S. Biology
- Sonja Koni of Rocky Hill, B.A. Philosophy and Political Science
- Areesha Waseem of New Britain, B.A. Psychological Science
Eastern Connecticut State University
- Ryan Toomey of Willington, B.A. Mathematics
- Dana Arroyo Infante of Myrtle Beach, SC, B.A. English and B.S. Psychology
Southern Connecticut State University
- Wajiha Ali, of North Haven, B.S. Business Administration with a concentration in Business Information Systems
- Peter Borzillo, of Wallingford, B.A. English and Interdisciplinary Studies
- Jordan Cervantes, Greenwich, B.A. Psychology
- Yasieli Perez, B.S. Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and minor in Political Science
Western Connecticut State University
- Sara Azzi of New Fairfield, B.A. Psychology
- Diana Felix Rebelo of Naugatuck, B.S. Nursing