Abril Coselino’s journey to becoming this year’s Outstanding Graduate is rooted in geographical distance and a rich tapestry of life experience. From the moment she arrived at Keystone, it was evident that she possessed a fierce intellectual curiosity, shaped not only by academic pursuit, but also by a deep engagement with the world around her.
Rather than limiting herself to a single path, Abril chose to explore many. She pursued a double major in Biology and Psychology while also completing a minor in Criminal Justice. Maintaining an extraordinary 3.949 GPA, her academic career at Keystone has been marked not just by excellence, but by intentionality and grit.
Her passion for research extended beyond campus. Last summer, Abril earned a position in the highly competitive Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research program at the University of Pennsylvania. At the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she contributed to two impactful projects: one promoting early literacy through parent-child interaction, and another, funded by the NIH, focused on reducing preventable harm during transitions in critical care units. Abril’s work wasn’t just academic. It made a real-world difference.
Back at Keystone, Abril continued to dive deep into meaningful research. Under the mentorship of Dr. Steve Howell, she explored the relationships between socioeconomic status, personality, and political attitudes. She also contributed to the accessibility of psychological tools by translating personality assessments from English into Spanish, expanding their reach to broader communities.
Despite her rigorous academic and research commitments, Abril remained fully engaged in campus life. She served as a resident assistant, a tutor across four academic disciplines, President of the Future Healthcare Professionals Club, and a dedicated field hockey player. Her ability to balance so many roles is a testament to her commitment and character. Among her peers and professors, she is regarded not only as a brilliant scholar, but also as a humble and thoughtful leader.
It comes as no surprise that her professors describe her as one of the most promising students they have ever taught. With her sights set on earning a Ph.D. in social or political psychology, Abril is poised to continue doing what she was clearly born to do: deepen understanding, explore important truths, and uplift others through her work.
