Five Students Honored in the 2024 ePortfolio Student Showcase

At the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS), students from across twenty academic programs explore their academic development and shape their digital identities by creating multi-modal, narrative-driven ePortfolios documenting their experiences as online learners.

Each year, the School hosts an exhibit of the best personalized student websites that highlight the students’ skills and experiences they gained at CUNY SPS and their personal and academic journey. Judges select the winning ePortfolio projects based on presentation, writing, and navigation, and on the effective use of artifacts and choice of work samples.

From among the many remarkable websites created this academic year, the School has chosen five winners for the 2024 ePortfolio Student Showcase. Winners are featured on the showcase website.

A list of this year’s winners and highlights from their ePortfolios are described below:

Martha Augustin, MS in Business Management and Leadership

Hailing from the “beautiful Caribbean island of St Lucia,” Augustin considers herself an “activist for continual learning,” not only for herself, but for her team(s). During her time at the School, she embraced a holistic understanding of effective leadership, one that involves “self-awareness, resilience, endurance, effective listening, compassion, decisiveness, fairness, ethics, inclusion, sacrifices, and cultural savviness.” Augustin has worked in accounting and financial services across many sectors, but her time in the CUNY SPS MS in Business Management and Leadership program has inspired her to move towards entrepreneurship.  Wherever her path leads next, she knows “that leadership growth and development is a lifelong process of awareness and the willingness to change for the better, with a long-range vision and steadfast commitment.”

Adina Rosenburg, MA in Disability Studies 

Rosenburg, who lives in Seattle, identifies as a disabled educator and disability justice advocate. For the past eight years, she has worked as a high school special education teacher, co-teaching classes, case managing students, and developing a district-wide, modified health curricula. Rosenburg has also led professional development on disability justice in schools and written curriculum on Disability History for the state of Washington. In all her efforts, whether as a teacher, advocate or researcher, she “ascribes to an asset-based mindset, applying inclusive practices through universal design and centering disabled voices.” Upon completion of her CUNY SPS degree, she hopes to remain in public education as an inclusive practices coach, curriculum developer, and special education teacher.

Lori Sansone, MA in Disability Studies

 As a person with profound hearing loss, Sansone has a deeply personal interest in disability issues. After graduating college with a dual major in psychology and sociology, Sansone completed a master’s degree in educational psychology and earned a New Jersey School Psychologist certification, all while working two part-time jobs. Through her program, Sansone provided academic and motivational support to college students with disabilities and, under the supervision of faculty, also offered full psychoeducational assessments to children at reduced cost to their families. Sansone’s time at the School further expanded—and challenged—her views on disability, and she exits the program “with a vastly amplified understanding of the value of variation in human experience.” Sansone plans to pursue a doctorate in Disability Studies or a related field.

Cindy Lopez Smith, BA in Communication and Media

Smith, like many CUNY SPS students, views herself as “not your typical undergraduate student.” In addition to residing in Hawaii, she is also a military spouse, self-described “older student,” and mental health advocate. As she nears the completion of her degree, Smith says she “feels confident walking into my future career because of what I learned and experienced in […the] Communication and Media Program.” Smith recently started a business that combines her interests in communications and advocacy, and “can’t want to work on digital content to help communities with chronic illness and mental health.” She is the owner and digital content creator for her new business, Social Nerd Studio, as well as a social media content creator for SmashBear publishing.

Becca Stout, MA in Disability Studies

During her time at the School, Stout has examined the cultural, medical, and legal impacts of disability with a particular focus on skin disorders and mental/cognitive disabilities. As someone who lives with a rare skin disorder, Stout sought to bring awareness and sensitivity to her experiences through a series of TikTok videos. Today, she has a following of 20,000 and a video reach of 1.5 million. Stout currently works for a New York City museum as a communication and public relations professional but plans to pursue a doctorate in Disability Studies and continue her advocacy and outreach efforts. She is especially appreciative that her program of studies at CUNY SPS has allowed her to “connect with other disabled people and the broader disabled community.”

For more of these winning entries, visit the ePortfolio Student Showcase website. To learn more or to work on your own ePortfolio, sign up here for upcoming info sessions.

About the CUNY School of Professional Studies

As New York's leading online school since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor's and master's degree options at the City University of New York and serves as the University's first undergraduate all-transfer college. With 26 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor's degree, progress from an associate's degree, earn a master's degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its online offerings, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School's renowned and affordable online programs ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.

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Prerna Dar
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