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Navigating the evolving landscape of higher education presents a significant challenge for many students. However, those from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities must often lay the course with fewer resources or weightier hurdles than their peers. These communities include first-generation, immigrant, socio-economically under-advantaged or LGBTQ+ students.

In recognition of these challenges, each year the University celebrates the achievements and resilience of these students through various Commencement-related ceremonies. These events spotlight their perseverance and bravery, honoring their journey through sometimes difficult and adverse conditions.

EOP recognizes 70 program graduates

On Saturday, March 16, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Senior Recognition Brunch and Awards Ceremony celebrated 70 EOP graduating seniors, many with academic distinction. This year, the ceremony also honored the 2020 BVirtual ������ϲ����� Enrichment Program’s first-year orientation group. Many of them completed their entire first year virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Graduating senior Sade Frazier was named the 2024 EOP Class Representative. She delivered a compelling, jury-selected student address, recounting the unique challenges faced by students who began their college journey online. Frazier is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Harpur College of Arts and Sciences. She plans to continue her education at ������ϲ�����, pursuing an MBA starting this fall.

The Distinguished Student Award is the highest honor bestowed upon an EOP senior, acknowledging superior merit, outstanding academic achievement and campus engagement. This year, the award was presented to Ann Badia, a 4+1 biomedical engineering student at Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science. Badia is a Dean’s List honoree, an undergraduate course assistant and a student assistant in the Watson Career and Alumni Connections office. Badia is also involved with CSTEP, the McNair Scholars Program, and is vice president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

This is the first year that a SUNY EOP Student Ambassador was honored. First-generation student Galileo Savage was a second-year political science major when he was selected as one of only 21 students across the SUNY system to serve in the 2021 inaugural cohort of student ambassadors. Savage is graduating summa cum laude and is the recipient of the Albert Tillman Award presented to an EOP senior of African-American descent for highest achievement.

Thirty-eight seniors received the SUNY Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, a statewide recognition presented by the SUNY Chancellor’s Office of Opportunity Programs. Several Foundation Awards and certificates of merit were also presented to graduates, including 10 students who earned EOP Director’s Leadership Award for service to EOP, the University and the local community.

MRC recognizes outstanding student cultural organizations, individuals

On Thursday, April 25, the Multicultural Resource Center hosted its 6th Annual Cultural Recognition Ceremony, centered around the theme of “Being True to Self: How Accountability Fuels Success.” The ceremony acknowledged individuals and student organizations for their leadership, impact and commitment to the University’s key values of identity, unity and excellence.

Opening remarks included a video message from New York State Senator Lea Webb ’04, a ������ϲ����� alumna. In her address, Webb encouraged students to remain authentic, open-minded and flexible while pursuing their passions and making a positive impact on their communities and the wider world.

Tolulope Odunsi-Nelson, an assistant professor of law at Western New England University specializing in race discrimination in the workplace and diversity in legal education and practice, delivered the keynote address.

Bronx, N.Y. native and first-generation student Izzie (Liz) De Jesus, the graduate assistant for event planning at the MRC, was the student speaker. De Jesus will graduate with a Masters of Social Work and a Master of Science in Student Affairs Administration. Q Center student manager and psychology major Nashaan Howard was the Master of Ceremonies.

Student organizations and individuals were nominated and selected by the MRC community, and honored organizations received funding for programming initiatives. Awardees include:

• Cultural Pre-professional Organization: Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers
• Cultural Fraternity/Sorority: Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Inc., Beta Chapter
• Cultural Performance Organization: Quimbamba Latin Dance Team
• Multicultural Program of the Year: Mís Quínce Con Cora, Corazoncitos
• Multicultural Student Organization: Corazoncitos
• Rising Student: Cristaly Alfaro
• Exceptional Graduate Student: Izzie De Jesus
• Outstanding Senior: Khalimah Choi-Owens

MRC Assistant Director Richie Sebuharara was honored with the Distinguished Diversity Service Award. This prestigious accolade acknowledges a faculty or staff member’s unwavering commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion through innovative programming initiatives and extensive community outreach. The award was presented to Sebuharara by members from the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Forty-eight students were recognized and awarded with green, black and silver cords representing the knowledge, strength and insight they gained through their academic journey. The green cord celebrates the acquisition of knowledge and skills, the black cord honors the resilience of multicultural students, and the silver cord reflects the wisdom gained from their experiences.

Rainbow cords and Pride awards

The Q Center hosted its annual Lavender Celebration on Saturday, April 27, to recognize the achievements and resilience of LGBTQ+ students. The event took place in the Old Union Hall and featured brunch, a cording ceremony and end-of-year awards.

The ceremony began with welcoming remarks by Q Center associate director Nick Martin and Karen Jones, vice president for diversity, who also introduced Matthew Winston, executive director for alumni engagement.

Master of Social Work student Liz (Izzie) De Jesus ‘21, MSW ’24, delivered the 2024 graduate address, and Dara J. Silberstein ‘81, associate research professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, was the event’s keynote speaker.

The Pride Awards are an annual tradition celebrating students, faculty and staff who have made significant contributions to the LGBTQ+ campus community.

The year’s Pride Awards winners include:

• OUTstanding Grad Award: Riya Bolander
• “Sunshine” Award: Izzie De Jesus
• Community Service Award: Luis Hernandez
• Activism Award: Nashaan Howard
• Faculty/Staff Advocacy in Action Award: Tia Spagnuolo, clinical instructor, Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Tina Chronopoulos, associate professor and undergraduate director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, joined Martin to announce cord recipients. Both undergraduates and graduate students received rainbow cords representing the colors in the original Pride Flag.

McNair Scholars Program honors 2024 grads and inductees

The McNair Scholars Program at ������ϲ����� welcomed faculty mentors, friends and families of student scholars to its end-of-year Senior Graduation Banquet on Wednesday, May 1, in the University Union. The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is a federal educational opportunity program to inspire and prepare students to pursue doctoral studies through research and other scholarly activities.

Sharon Bryant, associate dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and director/co-director of Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), Upward Bound Math Science Program and the McNair Scholars Program, provided opening remarks. McNair Assistant Director Gervlyne Auguste facilitated the induction of new program participants and graduating senior recognition.

Twenty-five McNair Scholar seniors received certificates of recognition and traditional Kente stoles, personalized with various symbols denoting prosperity, success and the continued quest for knowledge and lifelong education.

• Mofiyinfoluwa P. Adeoye
• Hunter Akins
• Laura O. Bamishile
• Ann Badia
• Melanie Fernandez
• Lesly-Hannah Gutierrez
• Hamdala A. Fousseni
• Ashley Holguin
• Eduardo Lezama
• Skenlanda Marseille
• Wilkilandjie Marseille
• Kevin McCurdy
• Chase Miceli
• Zakiyyah Nur-Singletary
  
• Michael P. Ostrowski
• Elidenya Peña
• Brianna Rodriguez
• Clara M. Rodriguez
• Samantha Saca
• Barbara Santos
• Samantha Sylvain
• Mardiya Youssif Traore
• Alberto Torres
• Janelle Vasquez
• Michael Xiao

Additionally, the McNair Scholars Program welcomed seven inductees:

• Hawa Fofana
• Aya Labnine
• Michelle Lin
• N’Senga Kinzonzi
• Kevin Polanco
• Anika Reja
• Shijia Xu

At the conclusion of the program, inductees and graduates were invited to share their personal ������ϲ����� stories.

“We love seeing our Scholars thrive as they embark on their next journey in life,” said Auguste.

BFirst celebrates first-generation graduates

On Thursday, May 2, ������ϲ�����’s BFirst Mentoring Network held its third annual First-Generation Graduation Celebration and Cording Ceremony in Old Union Hall and Mandela Room. BFirst is a support and mentoring network connecting first-generation students with first-generation faculty, staff and alumni who volunteer their time and efforts to help apprise and empower students on their way to earning a degree.

������ϲ����� Assistant Vice President for Student Success and BFirst mentor Kelli Smith provided opening remarks, followed by BFirst mentee and TRIO SSS graduating senior Inez Williams. Other ceremony speakers included first-generation recent alum

Guinevere Cotten ’23 and Bearcats of the Last Decade (BOLD) leadership council member Elise Thornley ‘12.

This year, more than 250 students, including undergraduates, master’s degree recipients and doctoral candidates, received the maroon and gold cords. Marissa Zelman, associate director of TRIO Student Support Services and co-founder and chair of the BFirst committee, explained the significance of the cord colors: “Maroon symbolizes courage, willpower and strength; gold symbolizes prosperity, love, compassion and wisdom. Our cords use double strands of maroon to symbolize the exceptional courage and strength exhibited by our first-gen students.”

Learn more about ������ϲ�����’s nine Commencement ceremonies and 2024’s student speakers.

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