Long Island Campus Class of 2025 Valedictorian Caroline O’Dea immersed herself in the full college experience that St. Joseph’s University, New York offers students in Patchogue. From conducting summer research with professors to competing in cross country to serving as a club president, O’Dea has been a committed member of the SJNY community.
Upon the news that O’Dea had been named valedictorian, we reached out to learn why she chose St. Joe’s, the student-athlete experience, how she plans to combine her passion for biology and teaching and much more.
OnCampus: Tell us why you chose St. Joseph’s?
Caroline O’Dea: I chose St. Joseph’s because I wanted to attend a school that would allow me to grow into the best teacher I could be. I had always heard that St. Joseph’s creates the most caring and skillful teachers, and I made it my goal to be one of them. What also guided me to this school was that it had small class sizes and was close to home. This allowed me to engage with my professors and feel supported by them while also being close to my family. I arrived at St. Joseph’s my sophomore year as a transfer student in the fall 2022 semester. Before St. Joseph’s, I had completed my freshman year at a different university where I struggled to find my right path. Attending St. Joseph’s not only helped me find my way, but also made me fall back in love with learning and reinstated my confidence about the future of my education.
OnCampus: What is your major? What interests you most about this area?
CO: My major is biology adolescent education, and I absolutely love it. It has allowed me to explore my love for both biology and teaching simultaneously, while preparing me for my future career along the way. What interests me most about my area of study is how multifaceted it is. Throughout my college career, I’ve been able to explore many fields of biology through the various courses offered in the biology department. It’s been incredibly interesting to learn about how each is unique, but come together to complete our understanding of life. I’m very excited to share with my future students what this major has taught me, and hopefully inspire a passion for biology in their lives.
OnCampus: What were some of your favorite classes?
CO: My favorite class that I have taken at SJNY is physiology. This class piqued my interest from the very beginning, and Dr. Antonawich’s funny anecdotes made every class fun. I loved how in-depth this course was, and how we were able to see our knowledge come to life in the laboratory component. Physiology allowed me to dive deeper into my love for science and introduced me to a field that I see myself exploring more in the future.
The most impactful class that I have taken at SJNY is organic chemistry. Before taking this class, I simply hoped to pass, as I understood that it is quite a challenging subject. However, this course allowed me to gain confidence in my capability to overcome challenges and develop a deeper understanding of complex science concepts that initially seemed daunting. I owe a lot of my success in this course to Dr. Stadler, who was always very supportive and willing to answer my many questions. This course also allowed me to re-establish my interest in chemistry, which has encouraged me to get my double certification to teach it!
OnCampus: Were you involved in research?
CO: This past summer, I was involved in research under Dr. Antonawich! The focus of my research was the metabolic dysfunction of ovarian cancer cells. In my research, I studied the OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell line, which I subcultured throughout the summer. The goal of this research was to reverse the dysfunctional metabolism of these cancer cells, a phenomenon known as the Warburg Effect, to effectively kill them. To achieve this, we treated the cells with Rejeneril-A, which is a dietary supplement mainly composed of Lipoic Acid Mineral Complex (LAMC). I’m very excited to say that we made important advancements in this research, as the Rejeneril-A killed a substantial amount of the ovarian cancer cells. The data we collected will serve as an important foundation for future research and potential medical applications of the utilization of Rejeneril-A to treat ovarian cancer.
OnCampus: You are a student-athlete. How has this impacted your experience at SJNY? How has it shaped who you are as a student?
CO: Being a student-athlete has made an incredible impact on my experience at SJNY. Prior to joining the Women’s Cross Country team my junior year, I had never been on a sports team before. But, with encouragement from my friends and wanting to get more involved in our school, I decided to join. I am very happy to say it was one of the best decisions I made during my college career. Earning a spot as one of the top five runners on the women’s team taught me that with heart, strength, and determination, anything is possible.
My experience as a cross country runner also positively impacted my skills as a student. Maintaining my GPA while being a student athlete took a lot of time and effort, as well as an NCAA-regulated amount of caffeine. You have to show up for your team while also showing up for yourself, which includes holding yourself accountable for the personal standards you set on and off the course. However, using the newfound endurance and perseverance that cross country taught me, I was able to succeed in both my academic and athletic endeavors.
Before St. Joseph’s, I had completed my freshman year at a different university where I struggled to find my right path. Attending St. Joseph’s not only helped me find my way, but also made me fall back in love with learning and reinstated my confidence about the future of my education.
OnCampus: What do you love most about cross country/running?
CO: What I love most about my sport is my team. While I also love running, what has made my cross-country experience so amazing is my teammates. The women’s and men’s cross-country teams are truly one big family; we practice and spend time together every day and have so much fun doing it. We even have a dedicated table in the student center that we all sit at during common hour to hang out outside of practice. Every single person on my team is so supportive of one another, and they are always pushing and encouraging each other to do their best. I owe a lot of my success in both athletics and academics to them, because they have believed in and supported me every step of the way.
OnCampus: Tell us about those at SJNY who impacted your experience at the university?
CO: Three individuals who have had the greatest impact on me at SJNY are my cross-country coach Jim Crowley, my thesis advisor and professor Dr. Frank Antonawich, and my professor Dr. Maria Pepey.
Despite never being an athlete before, Coach Crowley welcomed me to the team with open arms. From the moment I joined the team he was my number one supporter, and believed in me more than I believed in myself. Coach Crowley always encouraged me to set goals past what I deemed possible, because he was positive that I was able to accomplish anything I set my mind to. He has also always been interested in and supportive of my academics and life outside of sports, because he cares deeply about each of his runners. Coach Crowley taught me that true growth comes from pushing beyond your limits, both in sports and in life, and that having someone who believes in you can make all the difference in achieving your goals.
Dr. Antonawich was the first professor I ever met at St. Joseph’s, and from the get-go was incredibly supportive of my academic endeavors. Not only is Dr. Antonawich my normal advisor, but he is also my thesis advisor and has been my professor in three separate courses. In every instance, Dr. Antonawich has pushed me to be the best version of myself possible. He has effectively changed my perspective of myself as a student, as he has always held me to the high standards he knew I was capable of, even when I doubted myself. Dr. Antonawich has also inspired a deeper love for biology in me, as his passion for science is contagious. There is truly never a dull moment in one of his lessons, but you will gain the most incredible insight to the most interesting topics.
Dr. Pepey is the most caring professor I have ever had. She will put everything aside to make sure her students get the help they need and feel supported in her classroom. And somehow, she managed to accomplish this while being a full-time high school teacher, teaching undergraduate courses, and teaching graduate courses. Dr. Pepey is truly my role model educator, as her love for teaching and care for others can be seen and felt by each of her students. She is always there to lift us up, encourage us to move forward, and is the first one to cheer when we accomplish our goals. I attend each one of her classes excited for the lesson, as each time I know I will walk away with valuable skills that I will utilize for the rest of my teaching career. I owe so much of my success in teaching to Dr. Pepey, as her encouragement and guidance have enabled me to walk into every classroom with the confidence that I can make a positive impact on my students.
OnCampus: What have been your favorite experiences outside of the classroom?
CO: My favorite experiences at SJNY are the fall and spring carnivals! I’ve had so much fun going to them with my friends and have loved that they add an aspect of campus life to our school. It can be hard to create a sense of community on campus, since we are a commuter school, but these events are an incredible way of bringing students together.
OnCampus: Were you involved in any clubs or organizations?
CO: Yes! The club that I’ve been most heavily involved in during my time here is Green Team. Green Team is a science-based conservation club at St. Joseph’s whose mission is to keep the environment of our campus and the surrounding community clean. This club also educates students about our environment and conservation practices. I have been a member since my first semester in fall 2022, serving as vice president starting in Spring 2024, and have been president since the beginning of spring 2025.
OnCampus: What are your goals for after graduation? What’s next?
CO: My goals for after graduation are to start teaching high school right away! I’m so excited to have my own classroom and to share my love for biology with my future students. However, I love learning and school so much that I won’t be leaving behind my role as a student for too long! I plan to receive my master’s degree in the near future, and eventually a doctorate as well. My long-term goal is to become a professor at a university.
This story is part of OnCampus’ “Class of 2025 – Meet the Grads” series, focusing on the Class of 2025 at St. Joseph’s University, New York. To read more from this series, click here.
