The College of Business Administration (CBA) honored the most accomplished students from its 2008 graduating class Thursday at the annual CBA Awards Night on the Rose Hill campus.
Some 88 students received medals for their accomplishments in the areas of accounting, finance, management, entrepreneurship and marketing. Students also were recognized for their excellence in academic, community and humanitarian endeavors, and for their leadership skills. Also feted were class valedictorian John Hausler and salutatorian Elena Di Michael.
CBA Dean Donna Rapaccioli addressed the gathering of 300 students, faculty, friends and family on the importance of leadership style, citing a “positive attitude” as one of the most important choices the graduates could make with their lives.
“The future is in the hands of those who can give tomorrow’s generation a valid reason to live and to hope,” Rapaccioli said, quoting Jesuit philosopher Pierre De Chardin. “You are all my leaders. As you ponder your leadership style remember what CBA stands for – perhaps more importantly it stands for compassion, balance and attitude, compassionate business leaders who lead balanced lives with a positive attitude. I want you all to be leaders who take the Jesuit ideals you’ve learned here seriously.”
Hausler, who received an award for outstanding academic achievement in accounting, told fellow students that success is more than something one can “quantify.”
“Let’s be honest—years from now we might not remember much of what we learned in class,” he said. “But we’ll never forget these relationships.”
Special recognition was given to 170 students who have completed CBA’s Globe Program, designed to help students become ethical global business leaders. The program started in 1991 with just one student.
The evening included awards for faculty and alumni. Kevin Jackson, Ph.D., professor of legal and ethical studies, and Dennis Cappello, Ph.D., assistant professor of legal and ethical studies, received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
Roger Anerella (CBA ’89), managing director and chief operating officer for Global Markets at Merrill Lynch, was named the school’s Alumnus of the Year. A strong supporter of CBA and its programs, Anerella developed internships for students, helped fund student conference travel and facilitated upgrades to Faber Hall, Rapaccioli said.
“I’ve only given a fraction of what this University and my years here have given to me,” Anerella said, sharing the award with his wife, Christine (FCRH ’89). “Fordham provided me with the very foundation of my life.”
