Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) student Nina Kezys has recently been recognized for her academic accomplishments by being selected as one of 20 college students nationwide named to the 2025 All-USA Academic Team, which will earn her a $5,000 scholarship, as well as being chosen as New York’s 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar, earning an additional $2,250 scholarship.

   For Ms. Kezys, winning these scholarships “felt surreal.” Upon receiving the email confirming her achievement, it seemed unbelievable. More than anything, Ms. Kezys felt proud of herself because it “finally felt like [her] hard work was being recognized.” When asked about the people who helped her along the way, she emphasized that the true list of names could go on and on. To keep it short, she shared how grateful she was towards SCCC, and Campus Activities in particular, for helping her get to where she is now.

   When it came to applying to these prestigious scholarships, “it was an extremely long application portal.” At first it was overwhelming for Ms. Kezys, especially when it came to choosing which information to include where in order to portray the best version of herself. However, speaking to “a decent amount of faculty” helped make things less overwhelming as they helped her pinpoint her thoughts and make the application process a lot smoother. Taking advantage of the experienced and intelligent staff of SCCC, as well as the campus Writing Studio, allowed Ms. Kezys to properly showcase the talents that led her to earn such distinguished scholarships.

   While attending orientation last January, Ms. Kezys was approached by a student of the Rotaract Community Service Club – which she would ultimately become the Vice President of – and this jumpstarted her involvement in SCCC. By attending events such as P.S. I Love You Day and Take Back The Night through Rotaract Community Service Club, as well as volunteering at the food pantry – where she would be asked to become a Peer Mentor – it could all best be described as a domino effect. When asked what advice she’d give to students who want to pursue similar scholarships, Ms. Kezys shares: “Step outside of your comfort zone, always be proactive! Don’t wait for opportunities to come up because they won’t. Network and connect with people [because] it’s always good to have people on your side… Nothing changes if nothing changes.”

   Ms. Kezys plans to transfer to Stony Brook University in the fall to continue her studies in psychology and receive her Pre-Med Bachelor’s degree. She is a big advocate on embracing our individual differences and wants to bring more mental health talk into psychiatry, therefore bringing different perspectives into play as opposed to the norms we are conditioned to follow. Ms. Kezys reveals her philosophy as she ponders on her future studies and career: “Everyone has a purpose [in life], it’s just up to you to find that purpose.”