Jason Biundo, of Burlington, Mass., a Commonwealth Honors College student, completed dual degrees in biology and neuroscience.
In Biundo’s first two years at UMass, he stood out for his intellectual strength and for his tremendous positive impact on fellow students. He was named Residential Life Peer Mentor of the Year in recognition of his initiative and empathy in this role. In his sophomore year, Biundo joined the Moorman Lab, a neuroscience lab that studies motivation and addiction, and with that experience was admitted to an immersive summer program in computational neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University.
In the fall of his junior year, while serving as a resident assistant, active in two science clubs, and logging many lab hours, Biundo suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed below the waist. After a year of intensive therapy, during which he continued his challenging coursework, Biundo returned to campus. He resumed his research, worked as a teaching assistant, completed an honors thesis, revitalized the BioSci club thereby tripling its membership, and served as a resident assistant helping fellow students adjust to COVID-19 campus life.
After graduation, Biundo will do spinal cord research at Boston Children's Hospital in the lab of Zhigang He of Harvard Medical School. Biundo aspires to eventually obtain a PhD in neuroscience and become a professor.
Joanna Buoniconti, of West Springfield, Mass., a Commonwealth Honors College student, earned dual degrees in English, with a specialization in creative writing, and in journalism.
While excelling in numerous challenging projects for her two writing-intense majors, including completing a book-length memoir, Buoniconti also made substantial contributions to student and local media.
She achieved this, as she says, “without setting a wheel” on campus. With fragile health due to spinal muscular atrophy, Buoniconti attended her courses via Zoom. She found ways to be a key contributor to class discussions and garnered respect from her professors for her hard work, her talent, and her sensitive critiques of her classmates’ work.
After joining Amherst Wire, the journalism department’s online magazine, in her junior year, Buoniconti became a managing editor. While in that role, she honed her voice in her book reviews, reported on the pandemic, and advised others on how to navigate remote learning.
Off-campus, Buoniconti interned at the Daily Hampshire Gazette and went on to write a monthly op-ed column for the paper in which she broaches disability advocacy issues.
Buoniconti is pursuing work in book publishing or journalism, where she can apply her creativity and expertise in writing and continue to demonstrate her extraordinary determination to overcome personal obstacles.
James Andrew Cordero, of Woburn, Mass., double majored in English and in social thought and political economy with a minor in education.
He came to UMass Amherst in search of a diverse community where students of all backgrounds could find their place and advocate for their rights—and soon set about empowering others to help the campus better embody those ideals. A leader in multiple organizations, Cordero launched campaigns and built coalitions to make UMass more accessible and affordable to marginalized students.
For example, as co-chair of the Resident Assistant/Peer Mentor (RA/PM) Union, Cordero advocated for strong COVID-19 safety measures, secure student jobs, and anti-racism training for all RAs and PMs.
He fought alongside fellow students at the Center for Education Policy & Advocacy for more equitable funding for public schools in Massachusetts, resulting in the passage of the 2019 Student Opportunity Act and, later, lobbied for level state funding for UMass throughout the pandemic.
During two summers with Upward Bound, Cordero mentored college-bound students from Springfield’s High School of Commerce, forging close bonds with his students as he had with UMass Amherst classmates and activists throughout Massachusetts.
Cordero will teach full-time, incorporating his philosophy of universal human dignity into his work, while he pursues a master’s degree in education through the UMass Amherst 180 Days in Springfield program.
Hannah Guard, of Marion, Mass., a Commonwealth Honors College student, completed a double major in biochemistry and molecular biology, and in public health sciences, with a minor in psychology.
Motivated by her grandmother’s dementia, Guard became involved in the Students to End Alzheimer’s Disease club in her first year at UMass Amherst. As an executive board member, she led successful fundraising and outreach efforts.
Recognizing that her purpose as a scientist would be prevention of dementia and other diseases, Guard immersed herself in epidemiology to learn concepts that could connect her knowledge of biochemistry with helping people. She spent five semesters as a research assistant for the UMass Breast Health Study, exploring breast cancer risk factors. Guard learned advanced research methods and, as a senior, led team meetings and trained research assistants.
For her honors thesis, Guard explored the relationship between bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental chemical, and inflammatory markers in the breast milk of nursing mothers. This research could further the understanding of breast cancer risk. Additionally, when the opportunity to study dementia arose through a science communication internship, Guard created an enlightening video on the potential relationship between air pollutants and dementia.
To further prepare for a career dedicated to preventing neurodegenerative conditions, Guard will begin the master of science in epidemiology program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health next fall.
Rania Marie Henriquez, of Methuen, Mass., a Commonwealth Honors College student, earned dual degrees in women, gender, and sexuality studies and in political science.
Henriquez came to UMass Amherst with the belief that the powers of art and community building can change the world and immediately became active in Students of Caribbean Ancestry and the Black Student Union. She then extended her efforts to community activism, working in Springfield, Mass., to support Hurricane María relief efforts and to help organize a youth-led rally advocating for gun control.
In the spring of her sophomore year, Henriquez’s world imploded when her father, her most ardent supporter, died unexpectedly. She nevertheless finished the semester strong, and undertook summer service learning in Cape Town, South Africa, in his honor.
Henriquez distinguished herself on campus as an ambitious scholar and creative risk taker. She was a research assistant in political science, investigating indigenous communities’ resistance to natural resource extraction. She was an academic diversity fellow for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, supporting first-generation students and students of color. Also a prolific poet, she writes to reflect and to engage with others.
After graduation Henriquez will merge her passion for social justice and her love of art as the first-ever community resource coordinator at Elevated Thought, a youth organization in Lawrence, Mass., that develops spaces for BIPOC youth and communities to engage and understand art’s liberating power.
AnnMarie Marquis, a Commonwealth Honors College student from Tewksbury, Mass., completed two degrees: one in biochemistry and molecular biology and a second Bachelor’s Degree with Individual Concentration in immunology and immunoengineering.
A first-generation college student, Marquis came to UMass Amherst with a tenacious work ethic and determination to serve others. She has made an enormous contribution to the community as a firefighter and EMT for the Amherst Fire Department’s Student Force, serving as a captain. She volunteered 20-40 hours weekly, recruited and trained a new cohort of student firefighters, led the training of the Engine Company, and made changes to operations to ensure safety.
In the early, stressful months of the pandemic, with the department understaffed, Marquis was one of five students hired fulltime and worked alongside paramedics while finishing her fulltime course schedule. Using her knowledge of emergency preparedness and basic life support skills, Marquis volunteered with the Medical Reserve Corps to teach STOP the bleed trainings and educate students on campus.
Marquis worked overnight shifts at the W.E.B. Du Bois library to finance her education while excelling in her challenging self-designed immunology and immunoengineering studies, earning Phi Beta Kappa recognition. Her self-designed thesis research in immunoengineering focuses on reprogramming immune cells to prevent tumor progression in cancer. Marquis plans to continue her education and make lasting changes to healthcare using science and engineering.
Carla Montilla Jaimes, of Doral, Florida, a Commonwealth Honors College student, completed dual degrees in political science and history.
Originally from Venezuela, Montilla Jaimes is the first in her family to earn a college degree from an institution in the United States. Proactive and passionate, she served in the Student Government Association, the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success (CMASS), and other campus groups, where she amplified the voices of marginalized people. She researched policies to fight hunger and food insecurity as a Sophomores-Serve Scholar. Montilla Jaimes also sought out experiences outside of her rigorous coursework to deepen her knowledge of national and international affairs. Following her sophomore year, she was selected to participate in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences summer program in Washington, DC, where she worked in the office of Representative Jim McGovern. She was selected as a UMass Women into Leadership Fellow during her junior year.
After a trip to Israel and the West Bank, she founded a student chapter of J Street, an organization that advocates for progressive American foreign policy toward the Middle East. As a senior, Montilla Jaimes helped start the Period chapter at UMass and worked on a pilot program to make free menstrual products available across campus and to address period poverty in Massachusetts.
Starting this fall, Montilla Jaimes will attend American University’s School of International Service to pursue a master’s degree in ethics, peace, and human rights.
Babatunde Olatinwo, of Monroe, Conn., earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing.
Olatinwo entered the accelerated nursing program at UMass Amherst as a proven leader, having served six years of active duty in the US Air Force, where he received medals for outstanding achievement and meritorious service. As a reservist, he continues to work in support of missions with the 439th Airlift Wing.
A standout student in the challenging 17-month nursing program, Olatinwo supported his classmates in their studies and dedicated countless hours to the campus and the larger community during the COVID-19 crisis. In the first months of the pandemic, he volunteered to care for homeless individuals in Springfield, Mass., who had either been exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19. Olatinwo then volunteered to help set up the UMass Public Health Promotion Center, facilitating testing and contact tracing efforts and recruiting workers. As a graduate, he continues to contribute to UMass, providing education and administering vaccines in the campus clinic.
Even before completing his degree in February, Olatinwo began work as the first nurse resident in the perioperative care unit of Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Olatinwo’s next goal is to pursue an advanced degree at UMass Amherst.
Carolyn Parker-Fairbain, of Boston, Mass., earned a degree in Afro-American Studies with minors in theater and history and a certificate in multicultural theater.
At UMass Amherst, Parker-Fairbain focused her considerable talent and organizational energy on the intersections between Black studies and the arts. In her first Department of Theater production, she performed in Baltimore, a play by Kirsten Greenidge.
As a junior, she conceived and produced an event as part of the revitalization of New Africa House called “The Cyph,” where creators from the African diasporic community shared their work.
As a University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) For Freedoms Intern, Parker-Fairbain dedicated herself to expanding student engagement and building a more inclusive space for visitors. To this end, she performed extensive research, supported successful grant proposals, and co-hosted virtual events. Most central to her work, she co-created The For Freedoms Student Organizing Committee to further encourage liberatory practices in the arts.
Parker-Fairbain’s UMass acting experience concluded with Visionary Futures: Science Fiction Theatre for Social Justice Movements.
After her dynamic years at UMass, Parker-Fairbain plans a post-graduate period of renewal. She says, “This summer I plan to rest, reflect, and read. For the future I hope to continue cultivating liberation through an artistic practice that centers community.”
Alannah Scardino, of Rochester, New York, a Commonwealth Honors College student, completed a double major in sport management and social thought and political economy
A boundary breaker, while still a student, she combined the knowledge she gleaned from her two majors to support women, girls, and at-risk youth through sport.
As an intern for Minor League Baseball’s Rochester Red Wings, Scardino originated and planned the team’s first-ever Women in Sports Night. Similarly, she structured an independent study to write a children’s book, All I Can Be from A to Z, which challenges gender stereotypes and encourages kids to be their authentic selves.
This year, after conducting exhaustive research on the juvenile justice system, violence against girls and women, and sport for development, Scardino used her honors thesis as a springboard to launch a sport-for-development organization, Rising Phoenix Sports Program. Rising Phoenix has a mission to support the health and wellbeing of girls in the juvenile justice system through sport.
A role model as well as an advocate, Scardino remained in Amherst during the pandemic and served as deputy chief of Amherst Fire Department’s Student Force, where she implemented changes to ensure its safe and effective operation.
After graduating, Scardino will continue to develop Rising Phoenix and hopes to work for an organization dedicated to using sport to make a positive social impact.
