2024 CJC Graduates and Awards

The following students earned the Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology:

**Jannah Abu-Khalil

Aisha Ali

*Abigail Alvarez

*Lily Anderson

**Julia Aristotelidis

Nadia Attia

*Mikayla Auriene

Adrian Bailey

Madeleine Barone

Diego Barzola

Kesha Bhatia

**Madeline Bryan

***Amelia Burkstrand

*Ashleigh Carrera 

Isabelle Carvajal

*Joi Rae Connor

Angelica DePina

**Muskan Dhatt

***Carter Duncan

**Hannah Eure

Kristina Faulds

Anna Feldkamp

*McKenzie Gallivan

Abigail Givens

Amaya Gonzalez

Anna Gonzalez

**Callista Hansen

***Jeremiah Herrod

Laura Hodgson

Olubukunola Ibrahim

Jaikylah Jackson

***Julian Jang

Brooke Jeray

Jacob Johnson

*Alexander Kierna

Kaitlyn Koerner

***Nicholas Loomis

Itzel Marcha

Elizabeth McGlinn

Jasmine Mendoza

**Ashlie Michelson

Aaliyah Moore

Hannah Nalley

*Blake O’Brien

Ishika Patel

**Chloe Peters

Mawaddah Raeedy

**Colleen Richardson

Clarice Rocchi

Grace Romanelli

***Damien Sewell, Jr.

Logan Silva

***Katelyn Steponaitis

Dylan Stone

Mackenzie Stott

***Lucille Symoniak

**Mary Talty

Patrick Taylor

Sean Toner

***Savannah Van Vuren

*Justin Vargas

Jessica Villalobos

***Gillian Wagner

***Ella Westrich

***Meira White

**Caroline Wygant

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*Summa Cum Laude

**Magna Cum Laude

***Cum Laude

The following students earned the Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology:

Dr. Paul Mundy was a professor at Loyola University for 38 years, was the chair of the Department of Sociology, and in 1975 founded Loyola's Department of Criminal Justice. The Dr. Paul Mundy award is presented each year for outstanding scholarship to the graduating Criminal Justice and Criminology student with the highest overall grade point average.

This year’s recipient is Alexander Kierna

Dr. Charles W. Hart was a Loyola Graduate, a Faculty member in the Department of English, and an Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences where he showed great devotion to helping students both academically and personally. The Charles W. Hart Award is presented every year for academic excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences to all graduating Criminal Justice and Criminology students who have achieved a 3.7 overall grade point average. To be eligible for the Charles W. Hart Award, undergraduate students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.7 by January 1 of the academic year.

This year's recipients include:

Jannah Abu-Khalil

Abigail Alvarez

Lily Anderson

Julia Aristotelidis

Mikayla Auriene

Madeline Bryan

Ashleigh Carrera 

Joi Rae Connor

Muskan Dhatt

Hannah Eure

McKenzie Gallivan

Callista Hansen

Alexander Kierna

Ashlie Michelson

Blake O’Brien

Chloe Peters

Colleen Richardson

Mary Talty

Justin Vargas

Caroline Wygant 

Dr. Gad Bensinger was a faculty member in Criminal Justice and Criminology for over 30 years, inspiring the lives and careers of his many students with his commitment to educating students and his dedication to social justice. Through a generous gift from his family, the Gad, and Ana Bensinger Award recognizes undergraduate students who share Gad's commitment to social justice in understanding criminology and criminal justice issues. Students are selected for the award based on their submitted essays addressing social justice issues.

This year's winners include:

Lucille Symoniak

Title: “The Stigmatization of Motherhood Post-Incarceration”

Justin Vargas

Title: “Arguments for the Abolition of Qualified Immunity”

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Gad Bensinger Graduate Program Award Recipient

Anna Bryant

The Recipient of the Outstanding Student Scholarship Award

Deena Al-Ali

For her paper titled “The Ulghurs: China's Crime Against Humanity”.