Eight Students Receive Ruggiero Honors Internship Scholarship

Eight students from the Huether School of Business recently received the William and Camille G. Ruggiero ’37 Endowed Honors Internship. The faculty held a brunch February 22 where Huether School of Business Dean Mike Mathews, along with several business professors, commended the students for all the hard work they put into achieving their goals.

“This is a huge honor, and an even bigger honor that you are representing the Huether School of Business with all your outstanding endeavors,” said Mathews. “Saint Rose is proud of all of you.”

Every year, The College of Saint Rose presents the Ruggiero Honors Internship Scholarship to a select group of students. This award supports the recipients financially as they partake in their summer internships. This year’s awards went to eight well-rounded individuals, who are ready to take the next step in their careers.

Meet the award recipients:

Alonzo Gardner ‘20, B.S. in Marketing, Minor in Film and Digital Media
Alonzo Gardner thanked all his past and present professors for pushing him to excel and do the best that he can. He hopes this internship opportunity will help him connect and network, and guide him to take that first step into the world of business and entertainment. After graduation, Gardner wants to work at a marketing firm, combining his business and internship skills and applying them to the real world.

“Marketing is really fun,” Gardner said. “Marketing allows me to be myself and have fun at the same time, not to mention, the ability to be versatile in the business world in a number of ways.”

Emma Pinkowski ‘20, B.S. in Marketing
Emma Pinkowski hopes this internship will show her the pros and cons of marketing and guide her down the right career path. Pinkowski is from the Capital Region and commutes to Saint Rose every day. She believes the connections she made at the School of Business and the College will help her obtain a future career. Post-graduation, Pinkowski hopes to move down south and search for a career at a new start-up marketing firm as well as other opportunities.
“I chose marketing because of the creativity of it,” Emma said, adding that her ability to express her ideas in various ways will help her excel.

Meghan DiVirgilio ‘20, B.S. in Human Resource Management
Originally a psychology major, Meghan DiVirgilio switched to HR after taking an Organizational Behavior course. She saw how it was, “sort of like the psychology of business,” and felt HR was a much better fit. She thanked the faculty for preparing her for the internship by encouraging her to attend networking events, helping her build her resume, and conducting mock interviews along with simulations. She felt confident enough to really strive in this internship and other opportunities that come her way.
“The faculty of the business school treats you as a professional, not as a student,” DiVirgilio said. “You’re a peer to them, and they want to see you succeed.”

Niv Fogel ‘20, B.S. in Finance
Niv Fogel is an international student from Israel who plays for the men’s soccer team. He genuinely loves finance and wants to help advise people financially. Fogel believes the business program at Saint Rose keeps him on top of events going on around the world. The small class setting makes him feel comfortable and build relationships with professors.

“The scholarship I am receiving is going to help me concentrate on my work and not on my financial situation,” Fogel said, who wants to work in the financial field directly after graduation. “I am blessed to be receiving some financial aid along with the opportunity to help achieve my goals in the business world.”

Colin Lennox ’20, Marketing BS/MBA Dual Degree
Colin Lennox was originally a political science major but wanted to switch to finance — he thought. Instead, Lennox accidentally enrolled in marketing, but after just one course, knew he was in the right major. Already interning at an investment company, Lennox would like to work full time and eventually climb up the corporate ladder, in addition to dabbling in real estate.
“It’s nice that the internship occurs during the summer when class isn’t in session. It gives you more time to focus on the internship and really tackle it head on,” Lennox said.

Sonia Morreira ‘20, Marketing BS/MBA Dual Degree, Minor in Computer Science
Student Association President Sonia Morreira was taking business courses in high school and knew it was what she wanted to pursue in College. Already interning at Ayco, a Goldman Sachs Company, she loves getting hands-on experience and seeing how businesses really operate. She thanked the expertise of faculty, and said, they were willing to invest in her future and steer her in the right direction. Morreira hopes to be hired full time at Ayco after graduation and eventually start her own business.
“Business, in my opinion, is the best career path,” Morreira added. “To me, it’s the only to go.”

Wari Nings Isaac ‘20, Business Management, B.S. in Finance
Wari Nings Isaac is an international student from Nigeria and plays on the men’s soccer team at Saint Rose. Nings Isaac is also interning at Ayco with the Wealth Strategies Group. He is grateful for his courses at Saint Rose; they have broadened his knowledge and made him confident in the business world. Nings Isaac said he is excited about his new internship and he is honored to be working with a great financial company. He is happy that the scholarship will cover expenses as well as pay for the course credits during the school year. His goal is to land a job with Ayco after graduation and eventually get his MBA.

“I know this internship scholarship is a huge honor, and it’s going to really help me achieve my goals of getting the work experience I need. I want to be at the top, and that’s where it’s going to lead me,” Nings Isaac said.

Sammi Liao ’20, B.S. in Accounting
Sammy Liao is a student veteran who is planning to intern at the Office of the NYS Comptroller this summer. She is grateful for having the stipend that accompanies the scholarship so she won’t have to worry about finances, and she’ll have more time to focus on her internship. She thanks the business faculty for preparing her for this experience and for increasing her confidence in the world of business. Post-graduation, Liao hopes to land a position at an accounting firm before preparing for her CPA.

“The faculty here makes me feel so amazing. The more I stay here, the more confident I become, and I know I will land a great position somewhere after I graduate,” Liao said.

More about the William and Camille G. Ruggiero ’37 Endowed Honors Internship:

Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.25 and no academic integrity issues.

Students are eligible for the internship the summer between their junior and senior year.

The scholarship supports the tuition requirement of the internship and (if appropriate) related expenses.

Selections are made by the Huether School of Business faculty.

– By Tyler Warren ‘19