PATCHOGUE, NY – MARCH 30, 2006 – The New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored St. Joseph’s College student, Breianne Travalena, with an Emmy on March 12, 2006 for her production role in “Grodski’s Park,” the profile of a Long Island man who builds and sells marvelous birdhouses. She won in the “Single News Feature” category over nominees from CBS-TV, News 12 Westchester and News 12 New Jersey. Travalena was nominated twice for separate broadcasts in the same category.

Prior to enrolling at St. Joseph’s College to finish her degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Breianne Travalena was employed by News 12 Long Island. It was there where she produced the two features that gained her recognition for her work and the two Emmy nominations.

“Winning an Emmy for something I worked so hard on is something that I will always remember,” exclaims Breianne Travalena, winner of best “Single News Feature.” “But finishing my degree to someday become a Recreational Therapist is the one thing that I am the most proud of.”

“Grodski’s Park” tells the story of Charles Grodski, a 78 year-old man living in St. James, Long Island who builds spectacular birdhouses for the public. Grodski, a retired woodworker, transformed his property into a park where visitors can come to view and even purchase the magnificent avian habitats. All of Grodski’s profits are donated to a variety of causes, including hurricane relief and 9-11 disaster relief funds. Grodski is also the author of the “Birdhouse Builder’s Manual.”

The New York Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievements in television, originally broadcast or cablecast, in New York or Northern New Jersey.

About St. Joseph's College

St. Joseph’s College has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the College provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility, and service. With campuses located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn and in Patchogue, Long Island, the College offers degrees in over 21 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs through its School of Arts and Sciences and its School of Adult and Professional Education. Graduate degrees are also offered including an Executive MBA, a Master of Science in Management, a Master of Science Degree with a Major in Nursing, a Master of Arts in Literacy/Cognition and a Master of Arts in Infant/Toddler Early Childhood Special Education.