MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville students Kirsten Florio and Marcus Castleberry have been honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence (CASE).
The prestigious award recognizes students who have best demonstrated integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a student by SUNY.
“Now more than ever, it is time to celebrate the accomplishments of our students who have helped one another get through this global pandemic and focus on getting the most out of their college education, and this year’s CASE winners are at the top of the class,” said SUNY Interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley.
“It is my great honor to celebrate the fortitude, leadership, and achievements of this year’s winners, and I applaud their hard work and desire to do more for their campuses and fellow students,” she said.
Florio, a hospitality management, bachelor’s degree graduate from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, was a member and captain of the women’s volleyball team and worked in the college’s Career Services Department, where she assisted with college career fairs and marketing efforts.
Her extensive campus philanthropy includes assisting with a food drive during her internship in the college’s Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and a food and hygiene drive for the on-campus food pantry and Morrisville Community Church as a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
She excelled in the classroom earning President’s and Dean’s lists honors and was named a North Eastern Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete, in addition to selections to the SUNY Morrisville Athletic Director Honor Roll, United East Conference All-Sportsman Team and All-Decade Volleyball Team.
A 2017 graduate of Wellsboro Area High School, she is the daughter of Dan and Mary Jo Florio.
Castleberry, a science, technology & society – renewable resources major, from Oneida, New York and a native of Concord, North Carolina, served a successful military career before returning to the classroom as a full-time student, while working a full-time job as a production supervisor at Briggs & Stratton, in Sherrill, New York.
A Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force Security Forces, stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Castleberry’s decorated career includes Four Iraqi Campaign Medals, Korean Service Medal, four Overseas Short Tours, Overseas Long Tour, Good Conduct Medal, Airman Leadership Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal for 9/11 events, Outstanding Unit Award and a Meritorious Unit Award.
He excelled academically earning SUNY Morrisville President’s and Dean’s lists recognition.
A 2002 graduate of Central Cabarrus High School, in North Carolina, he is the son of Sheila Wensil, of Concord, North Carolina.
