By: Sebastian Bush, Assistant AD/Communications
New York, NY - The CUNY Athletic Conference held the 37th Annual Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner, honoring the conference's 2023-24 scholar-athletes. In a tradition that began when the conference was founded in 1986-87, the CUNYAC annually recognizes four of its graduating student-athletes, rich in academics and athletics, as its Scholar-Athletes of the Year.
The City College of New York had four student-athletes earn Honorable Mention recognition.
Leondra Craig, Women's Basketball, Track & Field, and Volleyball
Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Honorable Mention
Major: Biology (Macaulay Honors College) | Minor: Psychology
A three-sport student-athlete, Leondra Craig has produced a 3.715 GPA, majoring in Biology and a minor in Psychology, part of CUNY's Macaulay Honors College. As a member of the Women's Basketball, Track & Field, and Volleyball programs for three seasons, Craig has been named a CUNYAC All-Star, Sportsmanship Award Winner, and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree. Aside from competition, Craig has participated in several academic programs and initiatives at the college and university. She is a part of CUNY's Masters in Public Health 4+1 Program and took part in a Study Abroad Program this winter with City College's Spanish Program, completing service-learning in underserved communities of Spain. She's also volunteered for several non-profit organizations such as NYC Parks Stewardship, Hoop Camp, West Harlem Food Distribution Center, and Project Hospitality, and she currently works as an Emergency Medical Technician at SCEMS Brooklyn.
Charlotte Foberg, Women's Soccer
Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Honorable Mention
Women's Soccer, Major: Advertising and Public Relations
As a team captain and a three-year member of the women's soccer program, Charlotte Foberg has a 3.7 GPA, majoring in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Art. With the women's soccer program, she earned three CUNYAC All-Star recognitions, helping lead the Program to consecutive conference final appearances, capturing the League Championship in 2023. Off the field, she is also heavily involved in creating opportunities, volunteering as a youth soccer coach, tutoring high school students, and driving the importance and value of education through sports.
Michael Kessler, Baseball
Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Honorable Mention
Major: Business Administration and Management | Minor: Psychology
A four-year member of the CCNY baseball program, Michael Kessler, has a 3.765 GPA. He majors in Business Administration and Management and minors in Psychology. With the Beavers, Kessler helped the Program reach three consecutive CUNYAC Championships, including capturing the Conference Championship in 2022. He was also named to the conference's Sportsmanship Team in 2024. Kessler's contributions extend beyond the baseball field. He was a Valedictorian candidate for The Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at CCNY. He is involved in various departments and societies, including being CCNY Athletics's Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) Representative, serving as an Athletics Gameday Ambassador, member of the college Economic, Business, and Finance Society, and is an Eagle Scout. He interned this past summer as a stadium operations assistant with the New York Yankees and now works as an Assistant Facilities Manager at Rye Racket Club.
Yassine Sakhi, Men's Basketball
Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Honorable Mention
Major: Psychology | Minor: Sociology
A team captain, Yassine Sakhi, owns a 3.52 GPA with a psychology major and a sociology minor. As a men's basketball team member, he led a resurgence of the Program, leading it to three straight postseason appearances. This season, he made history by becoming the CCNY men's basketball program's all-time leading scorer, closing out his career with 1822 career points, and is tied as the CUNY Athletic Conference's sixth all-time leading scorer. He has been named a CUNYAC First-Team honors twice, earned both CUNYAC and D3Hoops.com Rookie of the Year, and has been recognized by the All-Met Basketball Writers Association twice. Off the court, Sakhi is a CUNYAC Winter/Spring Scholar-Athlete and Dean's List honoree. He also landed a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Academic Honors Court and has been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Off the court, Sakhi has interned and volunteered with the local Harlem community, training and mentoring youth basketball programs. He is also a member of CCNY's African Student Union and a CCNY Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative.
In addition, the conference also unveiled the 2023-24 Vice Chancellor's Honor Roll, honoring senior scholar-athletes with a grade-point average of 3.2 or higher. For CCNY, the Beavers had 17 student-athletes named to the list.
2023-24 Vice Chancellor's Honor Roll
- Unini Alasoka, Women's Fencing
- Rosario Baltazar, Women's Soccer
- Jonathan Caceres, Men's Soccer
- Leondra Craig, Women's Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field
- Michelle Fernandez, Women's Volleyball
- Charlottle Foberg, Women's Soccer
- Tyler Gaston, Men's Track & Field
- Michael Kessler, Baseball
- Britney Lacy, Women's Track & Field
- Riley Mercedes, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
- Christian Rasmussen, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
- Arianna Rivas, Women's Volleyball
- Damian Rivera, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
- Eric Romero, Baseball
- Yassine Sakhi, Men's Basketball
- Richard Vento, Baseball
- Jordan Williams, Men's Basketball
This year, major award winners for all sports from the 2023-24 academic year were also recognized 37th Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner:
- Isaiah Slater, Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.
- Serena Warner, Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year
- Maisha Islam, Women's Outdoor Track & Field Sportsmanship Award Winner
- Fatimah Coppin, Women's Volleyball Track & Field Sportsmanship Award Winner
- Steve Macias, Baseball Coach of the Year
- Louis Manoussos, Women's Soccer Coach of the Year
