By: Michael L. Damon
mdamon@jjay.cuny.edu
(212) 237-8322
Flushing, N.Y.— Four John Jay honorable mentions were amongst those celebrated by the City University of New York Athletic Conference on Wednesday evening as CUNYAC held its annual Michael Steuerman Scholar Athlete awards dinner, hosted by Queens College.
The four award recipients from the Bloodhounds included
Frankie Galang from the men's volleyball team,
Kaili Insalaco from the women's swimming team,
Brenda Pitts from the women's soccer team and
Nicholas Todaro from the men's volleyball and soccer teams.
“We are proud of all of our scholar athletes for not only excelling in their respective sport, but for doing an amazing job in the classroom,” said John Jay Director of Athletics, Dan Palumbo.
Each award recipient was congratulated by the conference with a personalized trophy and a CUNYAC fleece.
Frankie Galang: A rookie and a senior all in one year,
Frankie Galang joined John Jay's newly added Men's Volleyball squad and played in 18 out of 21 games for the Bloodhounds, earning a starting position in 15 games. Galang maintains a stellar 3.98 GPA over his career at John Jay, planning to graduate this spring with a Criminal Justice degree and a minor in Law. In addition to volleyball, Galang is a member of JJC's Veterans Association.
Kaili Insalaco: An International Criminal Justice major at John Jay, is known for doing it all. Holding a 3.3 GPA, Insalaco has been a team captain on the Women's Swimming team for three years straight, and two-time school MVP in her sport. She also participated in the CUNY Goodwill Tour this past summer for a service learning trip to New Orleans. Even though she works close to full-time outside of swim season, Insalaco still finds the time to do volunteer work with the John Jay Environmental Club, CUNY SAAC, and homeless shelters in Harlem.
Brenda Pitts: The consummate student-athlete,
Brenda Pitts maintains an outstanding 3.92 GPA while participating on the Women's Soccer squad for the John Jay Bloodhounds. A student in the prestigious BA/MA program, she will receive her bachelor's in Criminal Justice and finish a Master's in Public Administration and International Inspection and Oversight next year. With her solid work ethic, Pitts uses her leadership skills as a mentor for her teammates and a member of several community organizations, including the Young Life Leader mentorship program, P.S. 57 NYC public school, and the Mission to the World organization, which allowed her to travel to Kenya in 2010 and again in 2012.
Nicholas Todaro: He began his sports career at John Jay as a member of the Men's Soccer program, and added a starting spot on the new Men's Volleyball program in his senior campaign. A Criminal Justice major with a minor in Law, Todaro holds a 3.41 GPA and has been on the Dean's List for two straight years. He is also a soccer referee and a member of the Director of Referees and Director of Field Management for the Dix Hills Soccer Club.
Student-Athlete bios courtesy of City University of New York Athletic Conference
