Class of 2021 Valedictorian Alyssa Marie Nunziato ’21 has a very clear and justice-focused vision for her future, she wants to help take down white-collar criminals. “I want to become a Certified Public Accountant [CPA] with a focus in forensic accounting. My goal is to work in fraud prevention and detection, so I can stop white-collar crimes from happening,” explains Nunziato, who’s earning a bachelor’s degree in Fraud Examinations and Financial Forensics. Well on her way to making her vision a reality, Nunziato will begin a master’s program in Accountancy at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business this fall. As she prepares to embark on this new chapter, she’s reflecting on her path to John Jay and the pivotal role the College and its Academic Advisement Center played during her journey. “I came to John Jay in part because of my mother’s late-stage cancer diagnosis. I wanted to make sure I went to college locally so I could be with her,” says Nunziato, detailing how she found a supportive environment at John Jay. “Coming here was the best decision I ever made. I know it’s cliché to say, but my time at the College helped shape me into the person I am today. It was at John Jay where I found a second home, got my first job, realized what I wanted for my future, and became a more open-minded person. I’m beyond grateful for my experience and I’m proud to be a Bloodhound for life.” We chatted with Nunziato to learn more about her upbringing, her journey at the College, and her goals for the future.
“It was at John Jay where I found a second home, got my first job, realized what I wanted for my future, and became a more open-minded person.” —Alyssa Marie Nunziato
Creating a Strong Foundation
Nunziato attributes much of her success to her family’s tight bond. “I’ve always said my parents are my best friends; we’re all incredibly close. I get my drive to do good work from them,” she says. “They never wavered in their pursuit of happiness, in providing for us, and in doing work that filled them with pride. My mom worked her way up to becoming a manager at her job after starting as a part-time employee while she was still in high school. My dad, who never completed high school, successfully started his own business building and fixing personal computers. It’s because of my parents that I know you can achieve anything with a strong work ethic.”
featuring her mom,Wendy; her dad, Jeff; and her brother, Jeffrey.
Having excelled in high school, Nunziato originally planned to attend a private university, but she changed plans when she received some life-changing news. “My mom was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer the summer before my senior year in high school. I knew that paying a huge tuition was out of the question for me. I also wanted to make sure I stayed home and spend whatever time she had left with her,” recalls Nunziato. As she restarted the college search process, she found herself drawn to CUNY colleges, specifically John Jay. “My brother actually attended the College before leaving to join the Air Force, and I always had an interest in criminal and social justice, so it felt like the perfect choice. There was a sense of familiarity about John Jay, and given what I was going through in that moment, that was really comforting for me.”
“The Academic Advisement Center became the first place on campus that I found a second family and lifelong friends.” —Alyssa Marie Nunziato
Finding Community at John Jay
While it took her some time to adjust to a college setting, Nunziato soon hit her stride. “In the beginning, I had some difficulty finding my own community on campus. I kind of just went from home to class, class to home. But all that changed when I received an email saying I was eligible to be a Peer Academic Advisor in the Academic Advisement Center.” The on-campus job helped Nunziato cover some of her costs and provided her with a network of support at the College. “The Academic Advisement Center became the first place on campus that I found a second family and lifelong friends,” says Nunziato, sharing that her responsibilities included helping students find their way academically, personally, and professionally. “I felt so honored to be a Peer Academic Advisor and to have an important impact on the campus community.” When her mother passed away during the Spring 2019 semester, it was the Academic Advisement team that would provide Nunziato with love, guidance, and support. “After my mother passed away, I was surrounded by the greatest of people,” she says. “They were willing to sit with me, have long conversations, comfort me, and support my family and I during a very difficult time. It was a testament to the relationships we built together in the Center. These people became my family.”
“After my mother passed away, I was surrounded by the greatest of people. They were willing to sit with me, have long conversations, comfort me, and support my family and I during a very difficult time.” —Alyssa Marie Nunziato
Being Inspired by Her Peers
Living through the Covid-19 pandemic would help Nunziato face a truth she often shied away from. “The pandemic forced me to confront my mental health issues. I always struggled with depression and anxiety, more so after my mother passed away, but because I was functioning day-to-day and doing well academically, I thought I was fine. Early on in the pandemic, I realized that I wasn’t. I had no motivation for school, having to grudgingly force myself to do any type of work. I was spending hours in bed, not being productive,” says Nunziato, expressing how she found solace and hope in her peers. “What kept me going were the students I was able to meet through academic advisement appointments on Zoom. Hearing their stories and learning how they were taking the initiative to help themselves and their families was so eye-opening and inspiring to me. I met with some of the strongest students, and through telling me their stories, they gave me the strength to get up and to realize I could, and should, do better.”
Thinking of the Future
Graduating John Jay as class valedictorian and with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Nunziato feels more than ready to enter the next phase of her life. Joining the Accountancy Graduate Program at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business this fall, she’s excited to gain a deeper understanding in accounting theory and concepts. “My career goal is to be a CPA for one of the Big Four accounting firms—Deloitte, PricewaterhousCoopers, Ernst & Young, or KPMG. I also want to obtain my Certified Fraud Examiner [CFE] license,” she says. “Accounting is all about balance. I’m someone who appreciates rules and knows that if something is wrong in one place, it has to be wrong in another. As a CPA, I want to help find those wrongs.”
“I’m someone who appreciates rules and knows that if something is wrong in one place, it has to be wrong in another. As a CPA, I want to help find those wrongs.” —Alyssa Marie Nunziato
Looking back at her time at John Jay, Nunziato feels deep appreciation and gratitude for the journey that has brought her to this moment. “I’ve always just wanted to make my parents proud. My dad has always supported me and seen the best in me, even when I couldn’t. My mom, who is my angel in heaven, taught me to see every day as an opportunity to be better than I was yesterday, and to be thankful for each day. I’m grateful to them and to everyone I crossed paths with at John Jay and at the Academic Advisement Center,” says Nunziato. “These last four years, I’ve connected with amazing people who have lifted me up and brought out the best in me. The experience of being a John Jay student and of being part of this caring campus community is the most gratifying experience in my life. John Jay College is my second home, and like home, it will always hold a special place in my heart.”
