Accelerated master’s degree recipients at Fordham’s 2026 Commencement. Photos by Helen Reynolds, Adam Kaufman, and Connor White
One year after earning their undergraduate degrees, more than 100 students attended Commencement again—this time to receive their master’s degrees. These graduates took advantage of Fordham’s accelerated master’s programs, saving time and money while launching careers across a broad range of industries. Meet a few of these new Double Rams.
The Theater Professional
Tuchau Ly
Media Management Master’s
Undergraduate Major: Global Business
Job: Executive and Office Assistant, McCarter Theatre Center
“Doing this 4+1 pathway program really allowed me, in my final year of undergrad, to dig deep into what it means to take a graduate-level course. I was able to take two or three in my final year. It was really fun meeting all the professors, as well—getting to know them and network with them. It also made it a lot easier on the pocket and helped me build this community, connecting with Fordham on a deeper level.”
The Data Scientist
Alban Cotaj
AI in Business Master’s
Undergraduate Major: Information Systems
Internship: Data Scientist, YMCA Retirement Fund
“The day the applications opened for the AI in Business program, I applied for it. It was extremely convenient. It was much easier to keep my head in the game when it came to academics when I was just coming off my undergrad. Especially with a lot of the same professors and the same environment. The AI in Business program offers some really good work opportunities. There’s a class called Agentic AI for Copilot that has you doing a lot of work for the U.N. On my capstone project, my team got to work with PwC. It’s given me a bunch of opportunities.”
The Basketball Businesswoman
Taylor Donaldson
Media Management Master’s
Undergraduate Major: Communication and Culture
Student Job: High School and Club Basketball Coach
“I played on the women’s basketball team my senior and graduate years after transferring to Fordham. I love sports, and going into media management gave me an opportunity to get into corporate partnerships, a side of sports I hadn’t seen a lot. I loved being in the city. Fordham is in such an amazing area. The people I met, the community—I met some of my closest friends here.“
The Cybersecurity Software Developer
Bryce Vitale
Cybersecurity Master’s
Undergraduate Major: Computer Science
Job: Full-Stack Software Developer, American IT Solutions
“I wanted to continue school and I knew that having a computer science major along with a cybersecurity master’s would be amazing. I played hockey here. I was the captain for the last two years, and I also was a part of the jazz band here for a little while. I was president of O’Hare and Walsh [residence halls] my sophomore and junior years. I was also part of the Fordham Ramblers, the a cappella group. I was really involved with the Residence Halls Association and all the clubs around campus. I just had a great time.”
The Resident Director
Jocelyn Defex
English Master’s
Undergraduate Major: English
Student Job: Resident Director Graduate Assistantship, Fordham
“I was taking summer classes and only had a few credits left going into senior year. But I didn’t want to graduate early because I enjoyed my time here so much. I didn’t want to miss out on anything. I heard about the English accelerated master’s program. I decided to try it out and loved it. I got to work with professors who are experts in their field and learn directly from them. The classes were small and everyone was very friendly.”
The Health Care Informatician
Stephanie De La Cruz
Applied Health Informatics Master’s
Undergraduate Major: English
Student Job: Student Aide, Walsh Library Circulation and Reserves, Fordham
“I had originally wanted to do my master’s in library science. During my senior year, my grandmother had been declining, so I spent so much of that year in the hospital thinking about what exactly goes on to deliver care to patients. I had started college as a pre-med but was like, ‘Wait, I can’t do math, I can’t do chemistry.’ But health care is so big, there are so many areas to go into. The applied health informatics program is small but mighty. We’ve been able to build such a strong bond with each other and with the professors as well.”
The Social Workers
Meagan Cunney
Master of Social Work
Undergraduate Major: Social Work
Field Placements: Nicholas Scoppetta Children’s Center, Middle/High School in Westchester County, NY
“Fordham’s commitment to service and social justice is a major part of what makes the Graduate School of Social Service experience so unique. The multiple campuses across New York give students the opportunity to engage with diverse communities and better understand real-world social issues through firsthand experience. The combination of classroom learning and fieldwork helped shape my perspective and strengthened my passion for social work. The phrase ‘New York is my campus, Fordham is my school’ truly reflects the experience of learning not only in the classroom but also through the city and communities around you.”
Nathaly Fernandez
Master of Social Work
Undergraduate Major: Social Work
Field Placements: Nicholas Scoppetta Children’s Center, Fund for the City of New York
“My internship and fellowship experiences helped me connect everything I was learning in the classroom to real-life practice. Another thing that made grad school easier for me was feeling represented and supported. I had professors who looked like me, shared similar stories, and understood the experiences many students of color and first-generation students go through. That representation mattered because it reminded me that success in this field was possible for someone like me too. Overall, graduate school was definitely not easy, but the people, education, mentorship, and support system I found at Fordham made the experience incredibly meaningful and life-changing.”
Emma Morino
Master of Social Work
Undergraduate Major: Classical Civilization
Field Placement: Association to Benefit Children
“I knew I wanted to go into social work by my spring semester of sophomore year. I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do after school that would have a real impact on the world and the people around me, so I took an intro to social work class, and from day one, it was like, ‘Ahhh, this is the field for me.’ One additional year compared to two made a big difference. I don't know if I would have been able to do two more years straight after undergrad, and I think I would have had a really hard time starting back up in school if I had taken some time off. The accelerated program made it so much easier because I already knew the professors, classmates, and how the program works.”