Michael Verdon

Michael Verdon of Hawthorne, NJ is a History major who is pursuing a certification in Social Studies education. He has a 3.98 GPA and is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society.

Michael has been involved in teaching students in many different capacities. In addition to substitute teaching and serving as a catechist in his local community for many years, he also tutors underprivileged learners, teaching them to read and write.

All of these experiences have cultivated a deep love of education and a passion to impact the lives of students for the better. After completing his studies at Ramapo, Michael intends to teach social studies at the secondary level.

 

Awarded Scholarships

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2017

Cicitta, Louise and Luciano Teaching Scholarship

Louise and Luciano Cicitta are the parents of Mary Cicitta ’07, ’16, and the grandparents of Matthew Cicitta ’16 and Kelly Blake ’16.

“My parents were born in the United States in 1911 and 1914,” says Mary Cicitta, “But they didn’t receive that much of a formal education.  Like other children at that time, they went right to work.  My mother was a seamstress and my father worked all kinds of jobs, the longest as a winemaker.”

Mary is the youngest of Louise and Luciano’s four children.  “My parents encouraged all of us to continue our education,” continues Ms. Cicitta, “and as a result, we all went on to earn undergraduate and post-graduate degrees.”  Ms. Cicitta passed that love of learning on to her own children, both of whom are Ramapo College graduates.  Her daughter Kelly received a bachelor’s degree in theater/acting, and her son Matthew earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

It was Matthew’s experience in the teacher education program that motivated Ms. Cicitta to start this scholarship.  The Louise and Luciano Cicitta award recognizes a student with a passion for teaching others and a commitment to working with K-12 students.