Danielle Ricciardi
Many commuter students are not known on campus, but this is not the case for Danielle Ricciardi. The 22-year-old native of White Plains, NY, is on campus more than she is in her own home, often found working in the Honors College office as a Student Aid. Not only does Danielle attend Honors events, she also helps coordinate some of them, such asPace ReadsandPaint a School Day. She has also served on the e-board of Golden Key International Honor Society and the UNICEF chapter here at Pace University.
Now in her fifth year of the 5-year program in Childhood Education, Danielle continues her exceptional academic record by maintaining her 3.95 GPA with a 4.0 in her graduate classes thus far. She has even been nominated by the Honors College for the Student of the Year Award from the National Collegiate Honors Council. Danielle seeks to earn her Masters in Literacy and then work as a Literacy Specialist. Currently, Danielle is substitute teaching and interning as a Literacy Specialist in the Port Chester School District. After she finishes at Pace, Danielle wishes to pursue a second Masters degree in Special Education.
When not substitute teaching or attending school, Danielle takes part in theater performances. Ever since she was introduced to theater in high school, Danielle has had a passion for the acting, singing, and dancing that she displays in the many shows in which she has been featured. She has played the roles of Frenchy inGreaseand Ronnette inLittle Shop of Horrors,among others. Her performance as Ronnette even earned Danielle a nomination for the Helen Hayes Theater Award for “Best Duo/Group.” The Helen Hayes Theatre Awards are the high school equivalent of the Tony Awards.
After reflecting on her time at Pace, Danielle highlights her trip to Greece for her World Mythologies class as one of her favorite experiences. When asked about Greece, Danielle says, “It inspired my travel aspirations and opened my eyes to the possibilities of trying new things.” She also attributes the many Honors events, particularly the Broadway playWicked,and working in the Honors office as being her favorite things about being a member of the Honors College.
As the curtain begins to close on Danielle’s time at Pace, she wishes to leave some helpful tips for her fellow commuter students. Danielle says that joining clubs and organizations is a good way to get involved but students should “try to find a job on campus because it keeps you in the know of what is going on at the school.” Also, she expresses the importance of getting experience in your major because it will help you discover if you really want to continue along that path. Given Danielle’s success and involvement at Pace, these words of wisdom should be highly considered.
