Pace University’s MS in Publishing Program celebrated the hard work and accomplishments of students and alumni at this year’s Student Appreciation Dinner on April 13. The event was enjoyed by faculty and guests of the program.
Professor Sherman Raski
n, the Director of the MS in Publishing Program and the Pace University Press, started the night off by sharing his pride in the program and the community created and fostered through it.
Established publishing industry professional and advisory board member Frank Gatti, the first guest speaker of the night, followed Professor Raskin’s lead by speaking about the talented staff and students of the program. Gatti also spoke about the unique education the program provides future publishing professionals, and how important their education from Pace is in contributing to their success in the industry.
Denolyn Carroll, who is both an alumni of the program and a former professor, was the second guest speaker of the night. Carroll spoke warmly about how Pace influenced her academic, professional, and personal journeys. She spoke about how she left Jamaica to move to New York to work in magazine publishing after she completed her undergraduate education, and how Pace helped her accomplish her goals by providing well-taught, relevant courses. Carroll also reflected on how Professor Raskin awarded her the Times Mirror Scholarship, making her the first recipient of the award at Pace. This recognition for her work in graduate school was important and meaningful for her. For her, one of the greatest strengths of the program is that the professors genuinely care about their students and do everything they can to help students succeed. As she spoke about her lengthy career in magazine editing, earning the title of Editorial Operations Director at Essence among many other achievements, Carroll still had plenty of positive memories about her time teaching at Pace to share.
The final speaker of the night was the Graduate Assistant of the Multimedia Lab, Kevin Mercado. Mercado told the dinner’s attendants how he found out about the program after attending an information session Professor Raskin hosted at his undergraduate school, SUNY Albany. Mercado considered himself “recruited” at this event, and he said he’s come a long way from when he first entered the program. From narrowing down his interests and defining his career path, to connecting with other Pace alumni and students, Mercado expressed gratitude to Professor Raskin and the program for all of the opportunities he’s had.
The talking didn’t stop after the speeches were over—everyone present spent the night networking and exchanging stories about their time at Pace while they ate. It was amazing to see how many friendly and successful people are connected to Pace, and how willing everyone was to connect with each other. The event definitely celebrated its students, but it also was a celebration of how important the program has been and is, in launching successful publishing careers.