Sara LaPell receives Academic Achievement Award

2018 May 3

Sara LaPell of Queensbury, NY, was one of more than 50 outstanding SUNY Oneonta students selected to receive a 2018 Academic Achievement Award this spring. Each academic department or program selected one to three outstanding seniors to receive the award.

LaPell received the Communication and Media award.

To be considered for the award, a student must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 in his or her major and must demonstrate exceptional academic improvement over four semesters, as well as excellence in research; leadership and involvement in department, campus and community activities; and/or participation in academic and/or professional situation outside the college.

LaPell has been honored with multiple academic recognitions, including the Sandy Hill Foundation Scholarship, the Oneonta Alumni Association Scholarship, the Catskill Scholarship, the Tahawus Legacy Education Fund, and the Jean Parish Scholarship for Art. Her artwork has been displayed in gallery exhibitions (All About Paint! and The 120° Intercollegiate Regional) and has been published in Art & Scope. She participated in several clubs, including JSA, KCC, and SHIFT. Her written work has been featured in Ragazine and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Last summer, Sara received a grant from the Helen and Michael Casper Fellowship to participate in an internship at the Crandall Library Folklife Center. There, she contributed to the written, storyboarded, and filmed production of an original documentary series, Battenkill Inspired. Following her interest in communications and culture, she was a student researcher in a video game project led by Dr. Karen Stewart and is a TA in Dr. Feliciano’s Media Law course. After completing her dual major and minor, LaPell will pursue a master’s degree at Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English and will be employed at Mannix Marketing.