Marisa Gargaro named SUNY New Paltz class of 2015 valedictorian

2015 May 4

Marisa Gargaro (Communication Disorders), of Bay Shore, N.Y., has been named the valedictorian of the class of 2015 at SUNY New Paltz.

Gargaro will address her fellow candidates for graduation at the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 17, at the Old Main Quadrangle on the New Paltz campus.

As of Commencement, Gargaro will have completed her degree requirements in just three years.

Outside of her studies, Gargaro is the captain of the Ultimate Frisbee team, and also part of the Relay for Life club, in which she held various positions.

"As soon as I came here to visit, I fell in love with the school," said Gargaro of New Paltz. "The campus is beautiful."

Gargaro was initially interested in studying education and working with special-needs children. But on her way home from visiting the New Paltz campus, she discovered the communication disorders program among the brochures she picked up during her visit, and thought it sounded like a better fit.

"I was thinking I'd go the special education route," said Gargaro. "But through this (communication disorders) major, I saw that I could work with kids with special needs in schools, but I could also work with adults in hospitals or rehab facilities. The field is so much wider, which I love. As I got more into my major, I knew I was in the right place."

After graduating from New Paltz, Gargaro will pursue her master's degree in speech-language pathology at Queens College in Flushing, N.Y.