SUNY Canton Two-Sport Athlete Receives Outstanding Graduate Award

A Management major who played hockey and golf for the SUNY Canton Kangaroos will be receiving one of the college’s top awards.

Tia M. Tassava of Chubbuck, Idaho, will receive the Outstanding Graduate Award at the bachelor’s degree level at the college’s 111th Commencement Ceremony, which will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11, in the Roos House Convocation, Athletic and Recreation Center. 

Tassava, who has lived and worked in Canton for the last four years, is earning her bachelor’s degree in Management with minors in both Marketing and Graphic and Multimedia Design. She’s been noted as an exceptionally quick learner who adapts to new situations easily. 

“Tia was tasked with a leadership role within her student ambassador position in SUNY Canton’s Admissions office,” said SUNY Canton Senior Admissions Counselor Jacob M. Yaeger. “She communicates well, often gives positive feedback to her peers, and always looks for ways to improve herself.”

She’s consistently held the highest GPA in her academic program and received President’s List honors during her entire four years at the college. She also won a Student Ambassador of the Year award for her hard work and exceptional dedication.

As part of an internship, Tassava ran the Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for the Actions for Change Food and Music Festival. The event was the grand finale of a weeklong series of concerts across the U.S. held with the goal of providing love, hope and healing in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shootings in Parkland, Fla.

“Tia was chosen for this exclusive responsibility for her adept management and social skills,” said SUNY Canton Professor Charles R. Fenner, who teaches in the Management program. “Her organizational skills and attention to detail led her to perform above and beyond expectations.”

She originally came to SUNY Canton to play hockey but suffered a major injury in 2017. After recovering, she picked up women’s golf, where she tied for first place in the SUNY Canton Invitational and had four top-ten finishes in her final season. She was also named to the Colonial Hockey Conference All-Academic Team.

Following graduation, Tassava will work as a Client Advocate for Day & Nite All Service, a commercial refrigeration, kitchen equipment, HVAC, and plumbing company headquartered in Long Island.  

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York’s premier college for career-driven bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY’s leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 18 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college’s 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also offers varsity esports and cheerleading.