Sophomore swimmer and business major , a globetrotting son of a diplomat who at one time had no permanent place to call home, has made 麻豆直播 just that鈥攁 home. And not just for himself, but for a program and a community rising with him.

This season, Kakimseit not only repeated as the NE10 Championship Swimmer of the Meet and Swimmer of the Year, but helped lead the 麻豆直播 men鈥檚 swimming and diving team to a historic second-place finish at the 2025 NE10 Championship鈥攊t was the best finish in the program鈥檚 history, eclipsing last year鈥檚 third-place result, and a defining mark for a group that walked into the final day of competition in first place.

Swimming Medals in the Case, Not on the Mantel

Kakimseit holds the national flag聽of Kazakhstan during first-year picture day, honoring his cultural heritage.

鈥淪wimming is a lifestyle,鈥� Kakimseit said. 鈥淚t takes discipline, it takes intention. And every medal I鈥檝e earned here? That鈥檚 our team鈥檚 success. That鈥檚 why they belong in Adelphi鈥檚 trophy case, not my dorm.鈥�

Humility isn鈥檛 always a headlining trait in collegiate athletics, but it may just be the foundation of Kakimseit鈥檚 greatness. All his NE10 championship medals, along with his NE10 Swimmer and Rookie of the Year plaques from a year ago, are proudly displayed in the team鈥檚 trophy case that stands inside Adelphi鈥檚 Center for Recreation and Sports鈥攁 gesture emblematic of an individual who refuses to take sole credit for shared victories.

鈥淩yan is an outstanding young man,鈥� described fourth-year head coach , who was also honored as the NE10 Men鈥檚 Swimming Coach of the Year for the second time in as many seasons. 鈥淗e works four jobs, maintains a near-4.0 GPA, and still finds time to lead this team with integrity. He has helped transform this program in a significant way.鈥�

Kakimseit swimming the butterfly event, in which he holds both individual records for Adelphi聽.

Shattering Records, Redefining Expectations

The transformation is undeniable. Kakimseit owns school records in both the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly, along with four of the program鈥檚 five relay records. The record board? Almost completely rewritten in Danin鈥檚 tenure, particularly this season.

But for Kakimseit? The journey wasn鈥檛 always linear. With a diplomat mother, he lived a transient childhood across multiple continents鈥攁 life of constant adaptation. That sense of impermanence would rattle most young athletes. It only propelled him forward.

鈥淚 know what it鈥檚 like to feel like a stranger,鈥� he reflected. 鈥淏ut here, I know the faces when I walk into the [Ruth S. Harley University Center] or at the pool. I鈥檓 a name, not a number. That鈥檚 why I love Adelphi.鈥�

Global Roots, Panther Pride

Kakimseit swimming the freestyle stroke during his first year as a Panther

Grounded in gratitude, Kakimseit鈥檚 character has inspired not just his teammates but other swimmers far beyond the Garden City campus.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a very international team. I always tell recruits, take the risk. If your heart believes in a program, follow it. The best-case scenario outweighs the worst tenfold,鈥� Kakimseit explained.

A Mission to Elevate Adelphi Swimming

Despite the accolades to this point, he isn鈥檛 done. His sights are firmly set on qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Championship and helping the Panthers win their first-ever NE10 championship title.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more to come,鈥� Kakimseit said. 鈥淚 need to get stronger, refine my training and keep pushing. But we鈥檙e going to do everything with more intent next year. We鈥檙e so close.鈥�

Danin agrees, and he has a blueprint. The agenda includes more long-course training. A winter training trip to Barbados. Greater team commitment from the jump. 鈥淲e were 34 points out this year. That鈥檚 a hair鈥檚 breadth. We鈥檒l close the gap.鈥�

The Ripple Effect for Adelphi Athletics

Kakimseit, pictured with his cap, ahead of his sophomore聽campaign.

The stakes are as personal as they are professional. For Danin, the drive to build a persistent championship program isn鈥檛 just about medals鈥攊t鈥檚 about legacy. And for Kakimseit, a legacy is everything.

鈥淚 want to graduate and look back at how far the team has come,鈥� Kakimseit stated. 鈥淢ore than what I leave behind on the record board, I want to see growth in my teammates as people.鈥�

And yet, the numbers don鈥檛 lie. In just two years, he has become one of the most decorated swimmers in the conference鈥檚 history鈥攐nly the fifth swimmer ever to be named NE10 Men鈥檚 Swimmer of the Year in consecutive seasons. He may be soft-spoken, but his marks do the talking.

“My job isn鈥檛 done until [Ryan is] an All-American,” Danin said. “We鈥檙e not resting until we get him to nationals.”

For a swimmer who gives more credit than he takes, legacy is already set in motion. The ripples of his impact are spreading far beyond the lane lines鈥攁nd they鈥檙e just getting started.

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Dr. Garner: Well, there had been an honors program at Adelphi since the late 1970s. The program remained small for many years, but in the early 1990s, the University decided to begin giving it more resources.

The Honors College opened in the fall of 1994 with a class of between 50 and 60 students. It was built on the solid foundation provided by the honors program, but with students living together on campus in Earle Hall. We soon began adding more seminars along with many more cultural trips to the city each semester.

Does the College primarily attract students in the humanities?

Dr. Garner: Actually, we have always had more science students. Biology was always our largest major, and the number of English and history majors decreased over the years I was there. The number of nursing students exploded, as the need for nurses, and the reputation of Adelphi鈥檚 nursing program, grew. I was very happy for there to be lots of well-educated nurses out there in the world.

Dr. Dinan: The number of STEM students in the program is continuing to grow, which I also think is a good thing. We give them a very solid liberal arts education, helping them learn to read complicated texts and think deeply about them. And that really helps the students develop strong critical thinking skills, hone their analytical abilities, and communicate more effectively when speaking and writing. For instance, 91 percent of the Honors College students who applied to medical school in 2024 were accepted. There is something in the Honors College program that is making undergraduates better thinkers and communicators.

We recently had a healthcare panel for our students that brought three alums back to talk about their careers in healthcare. Dr. Kris Mahadeo [’99, MD], professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine; Dr. Pranay Sinha [’09, MD], assistant professor of infectious diseases at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine; and Dr. Peter Vellis [’96, DDS], an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at New England Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, agreed that the education they got in the Honors College is foundational for who they are. It taught them how to communicate effectively with a range of very different people, which is essential for success in the field.

How has the makeup of the student body changed?

Dr. Dinan: The student body has grown more diverse in terms of where families are coming from. We have a lot of students from very different backgrounds and very different belief systems鈥攁nd they are almost always profoundly respectful of one another. They鈥檙e willing to engage in class and informally in the Honors College lounge in Earle Hall, which helps them build an incredibly important skill in collaborating and communicating between cultures.

Dr. Garner: I think this was helped very much by the fact that we draw many of our students from Queens [New York City], which has the most diverse population in the United States. Lots of these students are the first in their family to go to college and spoke languages other than English at home.

All of our students take a class called The Modern Condition, which encourages expression of attitudes and beliefs from a great range of cultural backgrounds. Students have often said the discussions in class were the first time they faced challenges to their own beliefs. They were grateful for that, as it made them think things through.

Dr. Dinan: The students bring their perspectives from their majors, too. So the discussions in class can be very dynamic, and students have to grapple with different methods of interpreting texts. They never know what the person next to them is going to say.

Dr. Garner: Yes, the Honors College has a sort of natural diversity.

Have changes in the student body led to changes in the curriculum?

Dr. Dinan: Yes, it has in some ways. Another course that we have always had, The Human Experience, is a great books class. Our students still begin with The Iliad and The Aeneid, but they now read The Persian Book of Kings and The Tale of Heike from Japan. So, they鈥檙e still reading epics, but the works aren’t all from the Western tradition. We want to retain canonical texts, but we also want to broaden the voices at the seminar table鈥攖hose of the authors and of the students.

The cultural trips to New York City are a big part of the Honors College program. How important are they to the students鈥� experience?

Dr. Garner: One of the great things about Adelphi is having Manhattan right near us, and we try to take the very best advantage of it and give them very special experiences. I took students into the boardroom at the to talk with conductor Kurt Masur before a Philharmonic concert. I was able to take students into the on a day when it was closed to see special exhibits, so they could just have the museum to themselves and not have to fight the crowds. The has these Works in Process events in a beautiful little theater downstairs at the museum where students met artists and heard them talk about their creative process.

You can鈥檛 do these kinds of things at any university that isn鈥檛 located in or close to Manhattan.

Dr. Dinan: I cannot overstate the importance of having a budget that allows us to do several trips each semester, because at other institutions I鈥檝e worked for there was only enough money for one trip a semester. The funds we have for culture allows us to expand the horizons of as many students as we possibly can and provide an array of different experiences.

We are able to go to plays and musicals on Broadway, as well as concerts and dance performances. Our Modern Condition course takes students to when the subject is modernism, and Assistant Professor Ben Serby, [PhD], who teaches this class every year, has developed this brilliant scavenger hunt that takes students throughout the museum to identify works of art. They have to reflect on a number of questions and even, at one point, write a poem related to an artwork in a room. So students not only experience the art, they鈥檙e stretched to think creatively.

And these experiences are utterly transformative for some of our students. We had a young woman whose family came from Haiti when she was small and never went into the city. She was a sponge and wanted to know everything. Shortly after the theaters reopened after Covid, we went to see the Tony Kushner musical Caroline, or Change. When the show ended and people stood to applaud, she was still sitting, just awestruck by what she had seen. And now she goes to as many cultural events as she can. She has also brought her family to museums and to see a play she first saw with Nicole Rudolph, [PhD], the College’s associate dean for student engagement, in one of our trips to Manhattan. These experiences have changed the way our students think about their relationship to the city and what is available to them, their families and their communities.

How is the Honors College celebrating its 30th anniversary?

Dr. Dinan: We鈥檝e created a big 30th anniversary website that celebrates the College, our students and our alumni. It has profiles of 30 of our students with links to articles that have been about them, links to articles about the 33 students who have received 10 Under 10 Awards for their achievements after graduating, and a guide to upcoming events, including group trips to see Moby Dick at the and Othello at the Barrymore Theatre.

One of the biggest features on the website is a list of 30 critical, thought-provoking texts that our students have read over the years that we hope everyone might read in the next year. We鈥檙e also hoping to draw a large number of alums back to campus for Spirit Weekend in October, which will include a Dean’s Circle reading group facilitated by Craig Carson, [PhD], the College’s associate dean for academic affairs.

Dean Dinan, you鈥檙e a past president of the National Collegiate Honors Council [NCHC], so you鈥檙e familiar with honors programs around the country. What makes Adelphi鈥檚 Honors College stand out?

Dr. Dinan: Yes, NCHC has a membership of over 800 honors colleges and programs. We have a really impressive program at Adelphi. The curriculum is very challenging, and the cocurricular activities we offer are outstanding, thanks to the support we get from the University. The interview process we have for applicants鈥攚hich Richard started鈥攊s rare. It鈥檚 something you鈥檒l find only at very small, very elite programs.

We interview every student who applies. Some of them are top high school performers. They鈥檙e great, but they鈥檙e just not curious. They鈥檒l do well in college, but they will be unhappy in the Honors College. Then there are other students who don鈥檛 look great on paper, but when we bring them in, they just blow us away. They’re really curious, really engaged and really excited. We are looking each year to cultivate a group of 90 to 100 students who have those qualities.

Dr. Garner: I have to say that, when I was thinking of retiring, I would tell people that I couldn鈥檛 imagine that anyone would continue the interview process I set up. It鈥檚 so draining. But it is so crucial to forming a group of students who love reading, who want this sort of education, and who are ready for it.

Dr. Dinan: I agree鈥攊t is draining, especially as the number of applications and interviews goes up every year. Luckily, we鈥檝e been able to bring in alums to help. They love being on the other side of the table and speaking with prospective students over the course of a 10-hour day. Our alumni who dedicate their time to the interview process do us an immense service, and they tell me they are joining us because of how much their experience in the Honors College means to them.

And, of course, I also agree that our emphasis on the interview is critical. I can鈥檛 overstate how important it is in shaping our program and helping make it what I believe is one of the most rigorous honors colleges in the country.

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Since then, adult students have become an increasingly important part of the Adelphi community, and the University continues to create new ways to support them鈥攏o matter where they are in their academic and career journeys.

From onboarding programs for working adults returning to school for graduate degrees, to certificate programs and summer courses, and to caregiver resources and family-friendly campus spaces, Adelphi offers a range of services for adult and nontraditional students. This growing support reflects the University’s core commitment to student success and is part of the effort to reach goals set in our Momentum 2 strategic plan.

鈥淲e aim to meet adult students where they are to make their degree obtainment as easy and seamless as possible, while still providing rigorous programs to help them achieve their learning and career goals,鈥� said Sandra Castro, PhD, associate dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies (CPCS). 鈥淲e’ve had senior citizens and former students in their mid- to late twenties complete their degrees. We have something for everybody.鈥�

Helping adults readjust to academic life

When Professor Edmund J.Y. Pajarillo, PhD, began teaching master’s degree courses in the 麻豆直播 College of Nursing and Public Health, he noticed that adult students returning to school years after graduating from college frequently struggled with new technologies and the academic demands of graduate school.

鈥淚 wondered,” Dr. Pajarillo said, “how do you level the playing field for these students who come to the graduate program at different points in their lives?鈥�

He wondered only for a short time before creating what he calls the Equitable, Targeted and Structured (ETS) Onboarding Program. Introduced in 2019, this first-of-its-kind program offers new students training in using online databases for research, refreshers in scholarly writing, and a guide to academic support services and resources offered by the University.

Now the program, which Dr. Pajarillo is helping expand to other degree programs at Adelphi as well as to four other universities across the nation, has been with recognized with an Innovative Academic Support Initiative award from the .

Flexible online and certificate degree programs

Adult students have their pick of online, on-campus and hybrid programs, as well as courses to match their lifestyle and personal needs. They can also receive customized support to build the program that works best for them.

鈥淚n CPCS, we have our own academic advisers who work with students from the time that they’ve matriculated up until graduation,鈥� Dr. Castro said. 鈥淲e help them prepare their plan of study, make sure that they’re taking the appropriate courses for their program, and address any issues that may come up along the way.鈥�

Adelphi offers a growing list of notable online programs, including the online Master’s Degree in Education, which was named one of the nation’s Best Online Grad Programs by U.S. News and World Report. Adelphi’s and were also both named Best Online Programs of 2024 by Forbes. Outside of two- or four-year degree programs, students can also take advantage of Adelphi’s many in areas such as allied health, technology and paralegal studies.

CPCS is also the only Adelphi unit that offers self-paced online programs鈥攁nd the first to offer an 鈥攁llowing adult students to create their own learning schedules.

鈥溾�極nline鈥� doesn鈥檛 have to just mean logging into a virtual classroom at a certain time,鈥� Dr. Castro said. 鈥淭hese programs have been designed to be self-paced and engaging for adult students, which is incredibly valuable when you鈥檙e juggling many responsibilities in your life.鈥�

Adelphi even runs summer courses specifically geared towards adult learners who want to earn credits outside of the academic calendar year.

Dedicated support for caregivers

Many adult students earn their degrees while also caring for their children and elderly loved ones. To support these students, Adelphi launched the Caring for Caregivers scholarship program.

鈥淲e鈥檙e proud of this program because, for many, this type of care work gets no recognition and very little government support,鈥� Dr. Castro said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we also offer student counseling and mentorship to make sure each student鈥檚 coursework is going smoothly and steadily.鈥�

For those on campus, Adelphi also created a new family-friendly space in the Swirbul Library to provide a welcoming and engaging place for students with children. The space is equipped with books, toys, crayons, comfortable seating and safety gates, so caregivers can visit the library and focus on their studies while keeping their children occupied.

This is just one of the latest mindful resources that Adelphi launched to help adult students earn their degrees and take the next step in their careers鈥攚henever they are ready. As Dr. Castro said of the College for Professional and Continuing Studies, 鈥淲e think of our academic unit as not just a resource for a moment in your life, but one for lifelong learning.鈥�

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