Queens, NY---On Thursday, a four Brooklyn College student-athletes were recognized as Honorable Mention Scholar-Athletes at the 38th edition of the CUNYAC Michael Steuerman Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner hosted at Terrace on the Park. In addition, the conference recognized all of the major award winners in their respective sports, which included the following Bulldogs this year: Frank Ferrante (Men's Cross Country/Runner of the Year), Eric Schrick (Men's Cross Country/Coach of the Year), Ameea Daniel (Women's Basketball/Rookie of the Year), Nicholai Krylyuk (Men's Swimming & Diving/Sportsmanship Award), Ruti Joshi (Women's Volleyball/Libero of the Year), and Dion Csikortos (Men's Volleyball/Libero of the Year). Let's meet this year's Scholar-Athlete honorees:
Aleah Rafat - Women's Volleyball/Basketball
A four-year member of both the women's volleyball and women's basketball teams, Aleah Rafat carries a 3.5 GPA as a Television/Radio major with a Journalism minor. On the volleyball court, Rafat enjoyed a storied career amassing 1,015 kills and 996 kills. She would garner CUNYAC All-Star honors all four years including being named the conference's Rookie of the Year in her first season with the Bulldogs. As a freshman in 2021, she helped lead Brooklyn to their first conference title and NCAA Tournament berth in 39 years. Helping the Brooklyn College women's basketball team to four straight CUNYAC titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, the San Martin, CA native averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game at the forward position. In addition, Rafat played one season of softball in 2023.
David Lema - Men's Volleyball
A three-year member of the Brooklyn College men's volleyball team, David Lema carries a 3.6 GPA as a Computer Science major. The Bulldogs' starting setter for the last three seasons, Lema has ranked in the top-five in the conference in assists every season played. He has amassed 1,719 assists over his career and ranked second in CUNYAC in assists (724) following the 2025 season. He helped the Bulldogs qualify for three straight CUNYAC Championship Tournament appearances including the program's first semifinal appearance since 2017 this past season.
Dasha Goodman - Softball
A four-year member of the Brooklyn College softball team, Dasha Goodman carries a 4.0 GPA as a graduate student in Special Education after graduating with her four-year degree from Brooklyn with a 3.7 GPA majoring in Communications. As a junior in 2024, Goodman enjoyed her best season on the diamond, tied for first on the team in hits with 22 while leading the team in extra-base hits with nine including four triples and four doubles. She was also second on the team in batting average. Through eight games played in the 2025 Season, Goodman leads the team in RBIs with eight. Despite fighting through injuries, Goodman played three seasons of basketball for the Bulldogs, helping the team to three straight CUNYAC titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. She enjoyed her best season on the court during the 2022-23 season where she averaged 6.7 points per game while ranking second on the team in three-point makes with 39 in 23 games played.
Ryan Sham - Men's Tennis
A four-year member of the Brooklyn College men's tennis team, Ryan Sham carries a 3.6 GPA as a Public Accounting and Finance major. Playing No. 1 singles and doubles since his freshman year, Sham owns a 33-20 (13-4 CUNYAC) doubles record and a 30-19 (11-6 CUNYAC) singles mark for his career. Sham has been named a First Team CUNYAC All-Star all our seasons. In 2024, he helped lead the team to their first CUNYAC Championship appearance since the 2007 Season. He helped lead the 2025 to another CUNYAC runner-up finish in 2025.
