Olivia Carrera-Lazo, a recent graduate at SUNY Old Westbury and a resident of Queens, New York, has been recognized as the 2022 recipient of the President's Medal for Scholarship, for the College's highest student honor.
"To earn this recognition at our College, you must go above and beyond what is called of you academically," said College President Dr. Timothy E. Sams. "Ms. Carrera-Lazo did just that, by showing her drive and determination to finish her college degree while embracing the Old Westbury mission of helping others through her activism and service to her community."
Carrera-Lazo, also a member of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, completed her studies in December 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Social Work after having earned a 3.91 GPA. While enrolled in full-time, she has also worked as the Administrative Assistant to the Visual Arts Department and the Amelie A. Wallace Gallery. Outside SUNY Old Westbury, she serves as a volunteer at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and interned at the law office of Nadine Atkinson-Flowers, Esq. In these positions, she helped with immigration law, and assisted with inquiries related to DACA, citizenship/naturalization, adjustment of status, and student visas.
With an ambition to be a lawyer, Carrera-Lazo will be attending both Touro Law School to work on a J.D. degree and Stony Brook University to pursue a Master's in Political Science in the Fall.
The Old Westbury President’s Medal was created in 1986 to honor outstanding academic achievement among its graduating students. To be eligible, a student must be a senior, have completed a minimum of 24 credits at Old Westbury, and have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or greater.