The College of Staten Island hosted the Amazon Career Choice Winter Achievement Celebration on Thursday morning, honoring the achievements of the first cohort of graduates who successfully completed their programs through Amazon’s Career Choice initiative. CSI also has the largest Amazon Career Choice cohort in New York State. The event took place at the Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo Board Room at CSI, and featured a distinguished lineup of guests, including Amazon executives, elected officials, and key members of the CSI administration.
The Amazon Career Choice program is an education benefit designed to help Amazon employees grow their skills and advance their careers, providing tuition assistance for hourly employees to pursue degrees, certifications, and skills training in high-demand fields, even outside of Amazon. The program launched with the College of Staten Island in January 2022.
The celebration served as a meet and greet opportunity for Amazon representatives, CSI staff, and the first cohort of graduates and their families from this innovative program.
Among the notable attendees were Michael Sanicola (‘12), Sr. Regional Process Engineer at Amazon, Jennifer Cruickshank, Director of Public Policy and Community Affairs and Jessica Schumer, Senior Policy Manager. Elected officials, including representatives from the offices of Senator Andrew Lanza, and Assembly Member Charles Fall, were present to acknowledge the graduates’ accomplishments. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella and his office also participated, with CSI President Dr. Timothy G. Lynch and Provost Dr. Michael Steiper presenting citations to the honorees.
Among the graduating cohort were four exceptional individuals who demonstrated perseverance in balancing academics, work, and personal commitments:
- Aderemi Adeoye, originally from Nigeria, successfully completed his Associate of Applied Science in Nursing at CSI. Having worked for Amazon for over four years, he is now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while supporting his young family.
- Juan Cordova, a Brooklyn resident and first-generation college student, earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. His studies focused on Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, and Internet Data Communications.
- Jailene Lopez, a Staten Island native, completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Italian. Her academic journey was marked by a diverse range of interests, including international negotiations, civil rights, and comparative human rights.
- Kevyn Muniz, a Port Richmond High School graduate, obtained his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Despite the challenges of hybrid learning during the pandemic, he excelled in advanced courses such as Software Design, Operating Systems, and Database Systems.
The program began with a light continental breakfast and networking session, followed by welcoming remarks from Dr. Lynch and Borough President Fossella. Mr. Sanicola then addressed the attendees on behalf of Amazon, highlighting the company’s commitment to workforce development.
“The partnership with Amazon is exactly the type of partnership we seek at the College,” said Dr. Lynch to open the ceremony. “It is a partnership that values student success and puts student’s needs first.”
Borough President Fossella acknowledged the power of the partnership as well, stressing the importance of collaboration to advance the educational pursuits of students looking to advance their education while also pursuing careers.
Mr. Sanicola added “Amazon has invested more than $1.2B to provide free skills training to more than 350,000 U.S employees and it’s been a true privilege to partner with CSI and the team to help make this possible. We can’t wait to see the amazing things the graduates will continue to do in Staten Island and beyond.”
Each graduate was presented with a ceremonial stole by CSI and Amazon representatives and proclamation certificates from local representatives commemorating their achievement.
As the event wrapped up, the graduates, alongside their families, faculty, and Amazon representatives, celebrated their hard-earned achievements, marking the beginning of their next academic and professional journeys.
