Valedictorians from five of Cleveland State University’s eight colleges will be recognized Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Fall 2025 Commencement ceremonies for excellence within their colleges and beyond.

Join us in congratulating them all! 

Andrew Badza ’25, Washkewicz College of Engineering 

Badza, from Strongsville, Ohio, is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Washkewicz College of Engineering. A Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Honors student, he knew early on that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his family of engineers, all of whom attended CSU. 

During his time in the program, he completed six internships through the Fenn Co-op Program with four different companies, including Independence Excavating, The Great Lakes Construction Co., Turner Construction Company, and most recently, Gilbane Building Company, gaining valuable experience in the construction industry.

One of those key internships took place in the summer of 2025 when Badza was working on an internship with Gilbane on the Woodland Student Housing project for Oberlin College and Conservatory. As he progressed through his internship, Badza assisted his team in managing the closeout process and conducting quality control inspections on the air and vapor barrier and fiber cement panel systems. Badza also gained knowledge on building envelope enclosures, change management, submittals, contracts and more.

His résumé also includes work on other projects, including Metro Health APEX Outpatient Care Facility, Midtown Collaboration Center, Sherwin-Williams HQ, Sherwin-Williams R&D, Valor Acres, Opportunity Corridor Phase 3, the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery expansion and projects for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and Tremco.

Post-CSU, Badza recently accepted a full-time position with Gilbane Building Company as a field engineer, starting in January 2026. Badza received the Washkewicz College of Engineering Student Achievement Award during his sophomore year and the Ohio Contractors Association Scholarship in 2023. He also founded the Vikings Real Estate Club, a student organization that allowed him to share his passion for real estate with others and connect with local companies such as The NRP Group, Brickhaus Partners, and CBRE.

“I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had at CSU,” he said. “I am also thankful for all of my experiences and mentors, and the role CSU has had in shaping me into the person I am today.”
 
Daria Besa ’25, Monte Ahuja College of Business 

Besa, from Euclid, Ohio, is graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in both Information Systems and Marketing and remembers the excitement of her first day at CSU on Aug. 23, 2021, as if it were yesterday when she began her journey toward a marketing degree. Her path shifted during her third year when she took an information systems technology course, which inspired her to pursue a degree in information systems as well. 

Besa said that although balancing two majors was challenging, often requiring long hours and little sleep, it became one of her most rewarding decisions, helping to discover her purpose and confidence in her chosen path.

She was praised by Brigid Campbell, an assistant college lecturer in the Department of Information Systems, who noted that Besa demonstrates exceptional collaborative skills and actively promotes connections among her classmates. Campbell said that as an African American woman in technology, Besa has set a high standard for those who follow in her footsteps, while also contributing significantly to the development of her fellow students’ abilities with patience and support.

Outside the classroom, Besa is passionate about volunteering and serving underrepresented groups. She gives her time at her former high school, her local church, and the Fr. Wittman Ozanam Center, assisting those in need.

“Looking back at my journey at CSU, I have learned that growth comes from taking that first step no matter if the direction is what you expected,” she said. “What started off as uncertainty became an unforgettable journey of discovery that will continue to shape who I am becoming in my life and career.”

Mary Hansard ’25, Levin College of Public Affairs and Education 

Hansard, from Cleveland, Ohio, is a proud Mathilde Jane Endowment Scholar and an active-duty sergeant in the U.S. Army. She is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership and urban studies. 

A former Sullivan-Deckard Scholar, she overcame foster care to earn a full-ride scholarship to CSU. She has been a regular on the dean’s list every semester and served as a marketing assistant, helping coordinate a campus safety program video to promote student safety and engagement.

From 2022 to 2024, Hansard gave back to the foster care system as a licensed foster parent, caring for high-risk youth and providing the stability and support she once sought. The experience strengthened her compassion, patience, and leadership—qualities reflected in her achievements at CSU and in the Army.

“Being Valedictorian means the world to me, and it recognizes the hard work, dedication and perseverance I have demonstrated while overcoming adversity and allow me to inspire others,” she said. “This especially applies to youth from foster care or nontraditional backgrounds to believe in their potential.”

Hansard was selected as the Commencement speaker during Saturday’s ceremony on Dec. 13. The ceremonies will be available for viewing on CSU’s Commencement web page.

Brad Isabella ’25, College of Health 

Isabella, from Niles, Ohio, is earning a Bachelor of Science in health sciences (pre-PT) and carries a strong passion for health and fitness. He began working at the CSU Rec Center during the first week of his freshman year. Building on that momentum, he learned as much as he could about the facility and became a leader and mentor to others, eventually serving as the youngest supervisor on the team. His dedication and commitment earned him the Employee of the Year award, as voted on by his supervisors.

Isabella’s involvement in a scholarship program called Choose Ohio First enabled him to take part in research and internship opportunities that may not have been available otherwise. Within the program, he worked with two groups to create literature research projects later formed into posters and presented at the annual conferences. The freshman year poster titled “The Effects of Exercise on the Brain” won an award of excellence and next year, “Caffeine’s Role in Treating Neonatal Apnea of Prematurity”.

His biggest inspiration for becoming a doctor of physical therapy came from a spinal cord injury he sustained while playing high school football and from the physical therapist who helped him work through the pain and become healthier and stronger. Today, he continues to work as a certified personal trainer, helping clients reach their fitness goals. His ultimate goal is to continue making a meaningful impact on others, driven by his deep understanding of how powerful physical therapy can be in treating injuries that can profoundly affect a person’s life and well-being.

“As I reach the end of my undergraduate degree, I carry with me my academic commitment, but also strengthened confidence and leadership skills, time-management skills, and a strong foundation of knowledge,” he said. “I believe my academic excellence, research, service, and impact within the community make me a strong candidate for valedictorian.”

Mays Turabi ’25, College of Arts and Sciences 

Turabi, from North Olmsted, Ohio, is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish and pursuing a pre-law degree, has been motivated from the start. She began at Cleveland State University as a linguistics and Spanish double major but discovered a passion for law during the 2020 pandemic while advocating to U.S. senators for police reform. Recognized with CSU’s Exceptional Academic Excellence in Spanish Award, she helped revive the university’s Spanish Club to promote cultural exchange and multilingualism. 

Beyond the classroom, Turabi’s leadership as editor-in-chief of The Cauldron, the student newspaper, strengthened her commitment to truth and communication. She guided coverage of complex issues such as higher education reform and campus tensions related to global conflict. Under her leadership, print publication was briefly restored and included covering some very challenging topics including, but not limited to, Senate Bill 83 (now known as Senate Bill 1), geopolitical tensions on campus as a result of the Israel-Gaza War, and the general ever-changing landscape of higher education in the post-pandemic era. 

One notable accomplishment came when Turabi worked as an undergraduate project intern at the Public Defender’s Office in fall 2024, followed by a summer 2025 role as an operations student intern in the Northern District of Ohio. “My experiences during my undergraduate career allowed me to apply the skills from both my degrees to real-world situations,” Turabi said. “In both roles, I realized how I can use my knowledge to contribute to our society’s humanity and progress.”

She added of her time at CSU:

“I firmly believe that my success at CSU is rooted in my love for what I do,” she said. “I love political science. I love law. I love Spanish. I love journalism. I love academia. I love talking to people, in many languages, about many things. And I love the possibility that learning something new could make our society a little stronger, a little greater, a little closer.”

Congratulations to each of our valedictorians!