Adelphi Alumni Announced as 10 Under 10

Online, October 28, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Adelphi University's 10 Under 10 recognizes young alumni who have achieved exceptional career and personal accomplishments within ten years of graduating. They have established their own businesses, made advancements in their respective professions, given back to the community, and held roles with extensive responsibility. Through 10 Under 10, Adelphi proudly celebrates and showcases the successes of its young alumni who are already shaping the future.

Michael Berthel '08, M.A. '11, of Hempstead, NY is a graduate of Adelphi's College of Arts and Sciences and received his masters from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. Currently, he is the associate director of student life & leadership development at LIU Post. Previously, he served as senior assistant director for Adelphi's Center for Student Involvement. In this position, Berthel helped expand volunteer and community service projects, student leadership services, commuter student services, and fraternity and sorority life across Adelphi's campus. Following Hurricane Sandy, he spearheaded an emergency blood donation and drive and disaster relief trips in hard-hit areas. In 2013, he was awarded with the Adelphi University President's Award for Excellence in Service.

Louis Coraggio '05, of New York, NY graduated from Adelphi's Ruth S. Ammon School of Education. He is the founder of the fitness program Body Architect; creator of the body-weight training class Cardio Mission; and is currently developing the app, Cardio Mission™. He has trained celebrities such as Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Valentino Garavani, and Sam Champion. His expertise has been featured in popular publications such as Health Magazine, Cosmopolitan, W Magazine, Men's Health and Weight Watchers Magazine.

Joan Drabczyk '05, of Jericho, NY graduated from Adelphi with a degree in accounting and international studies with a concentration in Spanish. Joan currently works for the New York State Grievance Committee of the Appellate Division, Second Department, specializing in auditing attorney escrow accounts. She earned a certificate in forensic accounting and has completed the Certified Fraud Examiner exam; is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners; and volunteers on the Board of Advisors of the Paralegal Studies Program Department at LaGuardia Community College.

Jill Forie '11, of Garden City, NY graduated from Adelphi with a degree in Art Education. Today, she is an art teacher in the Carle Place School District. As an Adelphi student, Forie established her own business, Sink or Swim Custom Kicks, through which she creates and sells custom hand painted shoes. She has volunteered for the charitable organization Soles4Souls, and has traveled to Haiti on her own to deliver art supplies for the children at House of Hope orphanage and start an arts enrichment program there.

Katherine Herrera '06, of Corona, NY graduated from Adelphi's College of Arts and Sciences and the Honors College. Before beginning medical school this fall, Herrera worked at the Institute of Economic Botany at The New York Botanical Garden. As a research assistant to one of the world's leading ethnobotanists, Michael Balick, she traveled to the Pacific Islands, recording and preserving the local knowledge and sharing the information acquired with the indigenous people with the goal of integrating traditional medicine with allopathic medicine.

Lisa Innella '08, M.A. '11, of Long Beach, NY first graduated from Adelphi with a degree in physical education. She returned to Adelphi for her masters in health education. Innella is now a teacher of physical and adapted physical education in the New Hyde Park Garden City Park School District. During her first year of teaching, Innella established Camp Abilities Long Island, providing children with sensory impairments opportunities to play traditional games and sports and empowering them to be physically active members of their schools, communities, and societies. Camp Abilities Long Island has been held each summer since at Adelphi University.

Matthew Jordan '07, of Vienna, VA graduated from Adelphi with a degree in mathematics. A mathematical statistician at the United States Census Bureau, he works on the American Community Survey. At 27 years old, he was awarded the United States Census Bureau Bronze Medal Award, the agency's highest honorary recognition. He received this award for his work on a project that determined which states and countries needed language assistance at polling places. The study helped millions of voting age citizens to vote in the 2012 election.

Bobby Lanigan '12, of Valley Stream, NY is a graduate of Adelphi's Ruth S. Ammon School of Education. As a junior at Adelphi, Lanigan was picked 92nd in the third round of the 2008 MLB draft, playing with the Single-A Beloit Snappers, Advanced High A team Fort Myers Miracle, AA New Britain Rock Cats, and Triple A Rochester Red Wings before signing a minor-league contract in 2013 with the Boston Red Sox and joining the AA Portland Sea Dogs of the Eastern League. Committed to his education, Lanigan used two of his off-seasons complete his degree at Adelphi.

Pranay Sinha '09, of Charlottesville, VA is a graduate of Adelphi's College of Arts and Sciences and the Honors College. As a student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Sinha traveled to the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, where he spent five weeks in summer 2011 examining links between early childhood malnutrition and persistent cognitive impairment. He also helped to develop and implement a diabetes screening program for the residents of Charlottesville. In 2013, he co-organized the inaugural University of Virginia Global Health Case Competition.

Gianna Smith '08, of Hempstead, NY graduated from Adelphi with a degree in communications and a minor in business. As community relations coordinator for New York Knicks and Liberty at Madison Square Garden, Smith works with the non-profit Garden of Dreams Foundation to positively impact children facing obstacles. She also spearheads the Knicks' Community Awards and Scholarships Programs; the Dave DeBusschere Award, which honors high school students who have excelled on and off the court; and the Knicks Poetry Slam, which celebrates and engages the youth population.

To learn more about the 10 Under 10 Program and the other honorees, visit http://alumni.adelphi.edu/students-and-young-alumni/10-under-10/.
About Adelphi University: Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs-The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, College of Nursing and Public Health and the School of Social Work-the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 43 states and 45 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.