For C.W. Post Valedictorian, Family and Community Come First

May 8, 2005 — Brookville, NY — Family and community. For Kerri Pearles, these are the ties that bind.  Her hard work - and the unwavering support of her family - will be recognized on Mother's Day, when Pearles leads the C.W. Post Class of 2005 as valedictorian. “I couldn’t have done it without my family,” she said. “They’ve instilled in me the conservative values and commitment to the highest standards of results that are crucial for success.”

Pearles, 22, is graduating summa cum laude on May 8 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science and a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

Aside from her academic achievements, Pearles has taken an active role at C.W. Post and in her community. Since she was a freshman in high school, Pearles has studied and worked at Charles Water Karate & Fitness in Williston Park, New York. A black belt in karate, Pearles says the commitment, perseverance, and discipline acquired there, and at home, will help her to succeed.  Besides working as a receptionist and office assistant at the studio, Pearles helped coordinate community service work including fundraisers for children with cancer at Winthrop University Hospital.

Academically, Pearles said she was challenged and inspired at C.W. Post. She said the writing and researching of her honor’s thesis -- an examination of freedom of association and the right of private organizations to choose their own membership policies -- was an excellent exercise in research that has prepared her for future endeavors. She also said she found a second home within the C.W. Post Honors Program, of which she is a member. “It’s a wonderful, small community that promotes nurturing and success,” she said.

A member of the Political Science Honor Society, the Social Science Honor Society, and a note taker for the campus’ Academic Resource Program, Pearles looks forward to the future. “A political science degree provides so many great opportunities,” she said. “Ultimately, I aspire to build a career in public service.” Short-term career plans include work on the local legislative level. “One day I hope to work for the department of state or serve the government as a senator. I am very passionate about politics and very excited to enter the political arena.” Currently, she is applying to C.W. Post for graduate work.

A native of Albertson, Long Island, Pearles feels strongly about young people staying on Long Island. “The colleges on Long Island provide a challenging and stimulating atmosphere.  The quality of a Long Island education is something residents should take advantage of. There is no need to go anywhere else,” she said. “This is your home, where you grow up. It was important for me to go to college here, within my own community and not someone else’s.”

Kerri will be one of more than 2,200 students who will don their caps and gowns on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8, 2005 for the 47th annual commencement exercises of the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. The Campus has awarded more than 90,000 degrees in its 50-year history, through a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs.