TRIO Student Spotlight

As a young student growing up in Jamaica, West Indies, Destini Buchanan’s teachers knew there was something special about her. As a recent graduate of the Bioscience program, with a minor in Business Management and a certification in Cannabis Production and Management, she stands out in FSC’s campus community for her student advocacy and commitment to inclusion.

Destini served as FSC Student Government Association (SGA) vice president for two years before becoming president for the 2023-2024 term. She also served as FSC unit secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and vice president of FSC’s Afro-Caribbean Club. Read more about Destini's plans to pursue a career as a physician with a focus on overcoming inconsistencies in care for underrepresented populations.

Many students dream about it, plan for it, fight for it, study for hours on end, pick their professors' brains, join campus clubs, and on and on. The thing about 2015's Valedictorian Abraham Im, is that the idea never crossed his mind when he enrolled at FSC – or during his first two years here.

"I never saw myself excelling, when my goals were about surviving college," Abraham says. "I had no intention of maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

"I was floored when I received a letter from President Keen saying I was nominated for Valedictorian." He was not only nominated, but the selection committee voted unanimously for him.

Abraham, who graduated with a BS in Aeronautical Science-Professional Pilot, admits to having goals that were not that lofty. They were, he says "not missing one class, report early to every class, and do the best I can in every assignment." In retrospect, that was an inspired pathway to the college's highest honor.

Read More About Abraham 

The TRIO program at Farmingdale State College is extraordinarily proud to announce that for the second time, a TRIO student has been named Valedictorian.  This is Don Mahalli’s story.

Don was not always the most dedicated student academically before college. Like many others, he was unsure of what he wanted to do with his future career. In high school, he was a “B average” student and not very involved with extracurriculars; often feeling like an outsider. That would all change during his time at FSC. Amongst his many achievements at FSC, Don will graduate this month with having earned a cumulative 4.0 GPA through his final semester.

With the help of TRIO, Don reinvented himself at Farmingdale State College and was determined to perform at his best in all he did. He set high goals for himself and utilized the resources available to achieve them; which was how he found himself in the TRIO Student Support Services program in the fall of 2017.

Read More About Don Mahalli 

Arianna Rivera is a standout senior at Farmingdale State College, pursuing a Business major
with a minor in Legal Studies. Known for her leadership and passion for student advocacy, she
serves as Vice President of the Latin American Student Organization, Treasurer of the Student
Government Association, and Secretary of the Disability Coalition Club. Arianna is also a
dedicated TRIO student, mentoring her peers through the TRIO Support Squad. Since her
freshman year, she’s been a key part of the campus tutoring center, where she currently works
as an office assistant.

Read More About Arianna Rivera