After making the honorable mention list for the month of September, Women's Tennis star Ilona Stoyko earned the title of Hospital for Special Surgery/ CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month for October 2011.
The sophomore from Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, sports an outstanding 3.97 GPA as a chemistry major at the College of Staten Island. Stoyko attends CSI on two academic scholarships and hopes to achieve her career goal of becoming a doctor by attending medical school directly after her undergraduate graduation.
Splitting her time in No. 1 and 2 singles flight, Stoyko held a 5-1 record in October, including a flawless conference record of 3-0. She earned herself two honorable mentions as CUNYAC Player of the Week this month alone.
When she isn't on the court winning tennis matches, Stoyko takes part in a research project in the chemistry department on campus called the "Synthesis of Ordered Nanoporous Materials Project." Stoyko dedicates herself to research at least 3-4 times per week and is just one of two undergraduate students working with the CSI professors and a handful of graduate students on this project.
Stoyko also lends her time to Richmond University Medical Center where she volunteers in the Maternity Unit. Her tasks range from paper work and filing to making sure mothers are comfortable after giving birth.
At the end of October, Stoyko, along with other CSI SAAC members, hosted a Halloween Party for P.S. 44’s after-school program. “It was great to see so many kids smiling and having fun,” said Stoyko, who along with doubles teammate Alena Vedeneeva, was in charge of the mask painting station. “I loved the experience as much as the kids did and can't wait to take part in some more events like this again.”
Stoyko was humbled upon receiving the title of CUNYAC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Month: “I’m honored and thankful just being nominated for this award.” When asked how she manages to get good grades, practice her tennis swing and give back to the community, Stoyko replied, “I believe that hard work and dedication are the keys to success, and there is no limit of learning with persistence and an open mind.”
The CSI Women's Tennis season came to an end after the team fell to Brooklyn College in the CUNYAC Semifinals. Their season ended with a 7-10 overall record and 5-3 conference record.