BINGHAMTON, NY -- More than 700 students, including 58 doctoral candidates, have completed the requirements to receive their degrees this fall. Nearly 400 of them will walk across the stage during Binghamton University’s 2013 Fall Commencement ceremony at noon Sunday, Dec. 15, in the Events Center, on the University campus.

Senior and history major Sarah Kopitko will represent all of the graduates as student speaker and alumnus David Berkowitz '00 will also speak.

A native of Blairstown, N.J., Kapitko has demonstrated her enthusiasm for Binghamton University throughout her time on campus, serving as a tour guide, a student ambassador and as coordinator of the University’s Tour Guide Program. As a member of the BU Zoo, Kapitko has helped to promote school spirit, and as a member of Foundation for Peace, she has helped construct a childcare facility in the Dominican Republic and coordinated aid shipments to Haiti. 

"I am fully aware of what an honor it is to be able to address the graduating class," Kapitko said. "Binghamton University, for me, is a place where I can be who I want to be and say what I want to say, and I have found the people who matter here."

Kapitko was a history intern for Rutherford Hall in New Jersey, assisting with cataloging historical items and planning exhibits. She plans to attend law school after working for a year or two.

Berkowitz, chief marketing officer at digital marketing agency MRY, founded the Hinman Alumni Network, has chaired the Metro NY Alumni Network and is the youngest director ever elected to the Binghamton University Alumni Association Board of Directors.

An expert digital marketer and blogger, Berkowitz is a sought-after speaker and is frequently quoted online and in print in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and other high-profile publications. He has been featured by Google as one of four "Mobile Champs" and helped digital agency 360i win the iMedia Agency Award for Best Social Media Agency in 2012.

Berkowitz was recognized as Student of the Year at Binghamton in 2000, the year he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and spoke at the Hinman College graduation ceremony.