Brookline Resident Earns Highest Academic Award at MassBay Community College Commencement

Brookline resident Karina Gruesz received the All-College Award and the Divisional Award from the Division of Social Sciences & Professional Studies at Massachusetts Bay Community College’s 52nd Commencement Exercises on Thursday May 22nd. 

Ms. Gruesz earned a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology.

The All-College Award is the highest academic award at the College, presented to the student(s) with the highest grade point average in the graduating class.  The Award consists of a plaque and an honorarium of $500 provided by the MassBay Foundation Board.

Divisional Awards are presented to the student who achieved the highest grade point average in each of the College’s five academic divisions: Health Sciences; Humanities; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; Social Sciences & Professional Studies; and Transportation & Energy.  These awards consist of a plaque and an honorarium of $250 provided by the MassBay Foundation.

In addition to focusing on her studies while at MassBay, Ms. Gruesz was an active member of the community.  She served as a tutor in the Academic Achievement Center, helping her fellow classmates with their studies. She also worked as an Orientation leader, guiding new students through the enrollment process and assisting with special events throughout the year.  She also served as President of the Sociology Club.

Ms. Gruesz plans to attend Mount Holyoke University this fall, where she plans to study clinical psychology.

Approximately 300 Associate Degrees in Arts and in Science and Certificates were conferred at the 2014 Commencement Exercises.  President John O’Donnell welcomed the Commencement Speaker, Dr. Emmett G. Price III, Associate Professor of Music at Northeastern University and one of the nation’s pre-eminent scholars on African American music, culture and religion. The College’s orchestra-in-residence, the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra provided musical accompaniment. 

MassBay awards associate degrees and certificates in over 70 academic programs in a wide range of career-driven subjects ranging from accounting and automotive technology to forensic DNA science and early childhood education. The College’s facilities in Wellesley Hills, Framingham and Ashland house day, evening and weekend classes that meet the needs of degree-seeking students and career minded life-long learners. Online options provide convenience and allow faculty to facilitate the learning process. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and strives to meet the needs of the diverse local communities it serves.  Registration is now underway for summer session II, which begins on July 7th, and for fall semester, which gets underway on September 2nd.