Donya Quhshi ’19, Ray Maresca ’18, ’19 (M.S.) are 2019 Valedictorians

Donya Quhshi ’19 is the valedictorian of Manhattan College’s class of 2019 and will be the student speaker at Undergraduate Commencement on Friday, May 17. 

Ray Maresca ’18 ’19 (M.S.) is the valedictorian at the College’s Spring Commencement, which awards degrees to graduate students and students in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. That ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 15. 

A native of the Bronx, Quhshi is majoring in marketing with a minor in psychology. She is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma, Epsilon Sigma Pi and Mu Kappa Tau honor societies and has participated in the Women Inspiring Successful Enterprise (WISE) program. Quhshi is the co-founder and vice president of Women in Business at Manhattan College, vice president of the Muslim Student Association, and works to promote events with Fair Trade Fuel and the Commuter Student Association on campus.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be representing the class of 2019 as the valedictorian,” Quhshi said. “I am proud to be graduating among such hard working and remarkable individuals, and I wish all of my peers the greatest success in their journeys. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family, friends, and the Manhattan College community for providing me with the support and encouragement I needed to reach this point."

In the fall, Quhshi will begin Manhattan College's MBA program with a concentration in organizations, markets and sustainability. After receiving her MBA, Quhshi plans to work in the corporate sustainability sector, combining her passion for entrepreneurship and social justice. She also hopes to pursue a Ph.D. to teach and do research on improving business ethics. 

Maresca earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Manhattan College in 2018 and continued on campus to receive a Master’s degree in applied mathematics/data analytics this year.

A native of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., Maresca was a member of Phi Beta Kappa at Manhattan College, and earned the Brother Birillus Thomas Medal for Mathematics in 2018. He offered free weekly tutoring in mathematics as an undergraduate and has also taught all levels of math at the Sylvan Learning Center of Teaneck.

During the spring of 2019, Maresca has researched the Auslander-Reiten and Gabriel-Roiter theories, coded the ”greedy algorithm” to compute the Gabriel-Roiter measure of a given string module, and coded the plot of the rhombic picture.

“When I was chosen to be valedictorian I was beyond honored and surprised,” Maresca said. “I am thankful, excited and slightly overwhelmed to address and try to inspire those attending the Spring Commencement. I will forever be grateful to the faculty of Manhattan College not only for the nomination, but also for the excellent education and familial atmosphere they have fostered throughout my five years here.”

After receiving his Master’s degree from Manhattan College, Maresca will enroll at Brandeis University to work toward a Doctor of Philosophy, Mathematics degree.

For more information on Commencement 2019, visit manhattan.edu/commencement.