Cleveland State University offers our sincere congratulations and heartfelt good wishes to the university's two outstanding Valedictorians: Connor M. Mahon, College of Sciences and Health Professions and College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Summa Cum Laude (left) and Caleb J. Palagyi, Washkewicz College of Engineering, Summa Cum Laude (right). Both were conferred their respective degrees during Spring 2022 Commencement exercises, held on Saturday, May 14 at the Wolstein Center.

CSU had the pleasure of spending time with both honorees prior to and during Commencement, with ample opportunity to debrief on their formative years, their time with CSU leading up to The Big Day, advice for the young (and young at heart), the future... and of course, everything Viking. 

Connor M. Mahon

Cleveland State University: Can you tell us about the moment you decided to move forward with CSU – your “yes, this is the college for me” moment, if you will?

Connor M. Mahon: There wasn’t a single moment for me. I’m actually a third generation Viking, so Cleveland State was always on my radar. Once I began my freshman year, I was very fortunate to discover just how good of a fit it was. The genuine connections with faculty, downtown location, and abundant opportunities made me confident that CSU was the best choice for me.

CSU: What made you go into your major(s)? Were there any defining moments or inspirations that led you on that path?

CMM: In high school, I watched a documentary about a child with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease. It showed her visit to a speech-language pathologist, and I wondered why the same person who helped my elementary classmates say their “r” sounds would have reason to treat a condition like hers. I did some research, and soon found out that a speech-language pathologist can work with almost anyone across the lifespan and in a huge variety of settings. This endless variety, plus the ability to wake up each day and make a tangible difference in peoples’ lives, made the major extremely appealing.

CSU: Once you started getting into your major classes, how did your perception of that course of study change?

CMM: It affirmed my decision 100%. There were so many times where I would hold my professor back at the end of class with all my extra questions to get deeper into the content. To explore all the angles I wanted to, I kept adding on additional courses, leading me to a second major in linguistics, a minor in psychology, and the certificate in bioethics. There’s still so many topics to explore, so I’m really looking forward to beginning my graduate program this fall.

CSU: What was the best class you’ve taken at CSU – or the class you enjoyed the most – and why?

CMM: A possibly surprising opinion of mine is that I love general education courses. There’s a few I enjoyed so much that I was attempting to add even more majors and minors to my degree plan. My honors electives, Intro to Fiction with Dr. Jeff Karem and Origins of Christian Religion with Dr. Matt Jackson-McCabe are great examples of this, because they showed me how their subjects, English and Comparative Religion respectively, could still be interesting and enriching despite their distance from my career goals. It was in those classes that I really cultivated a love for learning, and I left feeling like I better understood the people and the world around me.

CSU: How has CSU cultivated your character, values, and standards of excellence?

CSU has put me in contact with so many incredible role models, who all hold themselves to a high standard of excellence. It was through learning from them and emulating that work ethic that I grew to be the person I am today. My supervisors in a few of my on-campus jobs, including Samantha Sharkey, former Resident Director of Euclid Commons, and Kara Tellaisha, Coordinator of LGBTQ+ Student Services, taught me so much about being a professional, as well as how to advocate for myself and push for what I value.

CSU: How do you think you’ve changed or grown during your time at CSU?

CMM: I hardly recognize the person I was when I started here. I was so introverted and anxious, but I had some amazing friends that pushed me out of my shell and helped me develop more confidence. I started caring more about the world around me and what I could do to change it for the better, and I now try to live by the philosophy that whenever there’s a problem, I want to be part of the solution.

CSU: Aside from being Valedictorian, what stands out most to you about your CSU experience?

CMM: Living and going to school in downtown Cleveland has really defined my experience. It puts you in the center of the action, and there’s always something going on, from Ingenuity Fest, to Walnut Wednesdays, to Pride in the CLE. Being close enough to walk to see a musical in Playhouse Square, a show at the House of Blues, or an event in Public Square all make me feel connected to the city, and I am so glad I chose an urban university.

CSU: What is your favorite CSU memory?

CMM: Hosting the CSU Drag Show this year! It was a collaboration between the Campus Activities Board, Queer Student Alliance, and LGBTQ+ Student Services. We packed the ballroom to capacity, and I got to introduce and perform alongside so many of my incredibly talented friends, as well as the amazing Dakota Cox. I’m looking forward to visiting for the return of this event next year!

CSU: What’s next for you in life and how has your experience at CSU prepared you for it?

CMM: I will be attending the University of Pittsburgh for a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, with a concentration in voice. This is one of the top ranked programs in the country, and I couldn’t have gotten accepted without the incredible education and foundation that CSU has provided me. Every single one of my professors was more than willing to go above and beyond and serve as a mentor or assist me with a project that let me make my academic experience my own. The Pre-Professional Health Programs team at Career Development & Exploration was also there to walk me through every step of the process, setting me up for future success.                

CSU: What advice would you give to the next class, or even a freshman entering your major?

CMM: Get involved! Opportunities are everywhere and so much of my personal and professional growth happened outside of the classroom. Countless students and staff are working behind the scenes to make your time here great, but you will always have to take that first step yourself. Once you do, there’s a whole other side of CSU to experience. Also, take advantage of being in the heart of Cleveland! There’s so much our city has to offer, and we don’t say “the city is our campus” for nothing!

Caleb J. Palagyi

Cleveland State University: Can you tell us about the moment you decided to move forward with CSU – your “yes, this is the college for me” moment, if you will?

Caleb J. Palagyi: The moment I knew CSU was the right school was when I had a one-on-one tour with one of the Electrical Engineering students, and her face lit up when talking about her classes. She loved engineering and problem-solving and didn’t choose engineering for the money. Also, she had been on a part-time internship while going to school and had completed many projects that reminded me of the crazy projects I had built.

CSU: What made you go into your major(s)? Were there any defining moments or inspirations that led you on that path?

CJP: In sixth grade, I took a tour of the Weatherchem Plastics bottle cap factory in Twinsburg for Engineering Merit Badge. It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to do one of two things: design the assembly lines or design the gray boxes with the blue stop signs that made everything work.

At Saint Barnabas, my grade school, I helped found the Science Olympiad team, where I built Rube Goldberg machines and a pipe organ out of bottles. When I went to Saint Ignatius High School, I joined their Science Olympiad team. Thanks to the dedication of many incredible teachers, I learned how to machine metal, design PCBs, build planes, and I even built my first clock and robot arm; interests I still have today.

CSU: Once you started getting into your major classes, how did your perception of that course of study change?

CJP: I remember being in an interview my sophomore year and being asked the question, “What is one thing you would not be interested in doing?” And I answered, without hesitation, “power supplies.” While taking Power Electronics with Dr. Stankovic, I had the opportunity to design and build power supplies. I quickly realized how fun and satisfying it could be—so much so that I even became the teaching assistant for the power electronics courses and will be pursuing a master’s degree with a focus on power.

CSU: What was the best class you’ve taken at CSU – or the class you enjoyed the most – and why?

CJP: This is a close call between Signals and Systems with Dr. Zhiqiang Gao and Power Electronics with Dr. Ana Stankovic. Both professors strive to make “Engaged Learning” not just a catchphrase, but the guiding principle with which they teach their classes. Dr. Gao assigned open ended projects where I had the opportunity to build whatever I wanted with his mentorship. Dr. Stankovic worked in the lab with the class, showing us how to use her equipment to power electric motors and high-power circuits. Both professors understood that engineering is about making the theoretical into a physical reality, which can be used to help improve the lives of other people.

CSU: How has CSU cultivated your character, values, and standards of excellence?

CJP: One of my last memories before graduating from Saint Ignatius was sitting on the steps of the Jesuit Residence talking to one of the priests who reminded me, “What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” CSU strengthened my morals and character by giving me opportunities to put them to the test. Choosing design projects for my classes, including Senior Design, were not only guided by the course material, but also how I could use the gifts I have been given to help those around me.

CSU: How do you think you’ve changed or grown during your time at CSU?

CJP: Serving the community with the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry, riding RTA, and spending another four years in downtown Cleveland helped strengthen my desire to serve others.  Boy Scouts and Saint Ignatius High School laid a firm foundation on which my desire to serve others was built. CSU gave me the tools to put this desire into action, whether that was meeting people who gave me tips as I developed the STEM Center at Seven Ranges Scout Reservation or being given the opportunity to serve as a tutor and teaching assistant.

CSU: Aside from being Valedictorian, what stands out most to you about your CSU experience?

CJP: As many people know, CSU is a majority commuter school. However, one of the best parts of CSU was the communities I found on campus. Between the Honors Lounge, the MakerSpace, and Newman Catholic Campus Ministry, I’ve made friends with students across all the colleges.

CSU: What is your favorite CSU memory?

My favorite CSU memory has been my senior design team.  Celebrating as our project worked for the first time, getting caught in a downpour walking to Vincenza’s Pizza, and working as a team in the MakerSpace, stand out as some of the most fun times I had at Cleveland State. All of this culminated in being awarded the second-place prize at the Senior Design Symposium for designing and building a low-cost digital music education kit for high school students.

CSU: What’s next for you in life and how has your experience at CSU prepared you for it?

CJP: While working full time at Rockwell Automation as an Associate Hardware Engineer in New Product Development, I will be completing a master’s degree in electrical engineering with a focus in power at Cleveland State University.  Without the Engineering Co-Op Fair, I likely would not have gotten my Co-Op at Rockwell Automation in Spring of 2020.

I hope to become a teacher sometime in the future. My time working as a tutor in the Math Learning Center, and as a teaching assistant in the electrical engineering department, helped me see how much I enjoy teaching and working with students.

CSU: What advice would you give to the next class, or even a freshman entering your major?

CJP: Much like the Law of Conservation of Energy, you can only get back what you put into your time at CSU. Especially in engineering, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have the drive to pursue a Co-Op, internship, or research opportunity, many of the professors, and even your classmates, will do whatever it takes to help you achieve your goal.

Congratulations, Caleb and Connor!!