Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Honors & Recognition
Colleagues,
This is the time of year when college campuses are places of pride and joy as they host ceremonies of honor and recognition.
Last week, SUNY Westchester Community College held its 75th annual commencement exercise. Three ceremonies celebrated the accomplishments and perseverance of over 600 students within the Schools of Math, Science and Engineering; Health Careers, Technology and Applied Learning; Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; and Business and Professional Careers. As is our tradition, we celebrated the notable achievements of the many award winners including four students who received SUNY Chancellor Awards, one of whom – 2023 Valedictorian Zefferino “Zeff” Carriero – also received the very prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This highly competitive scholarship provides selected students with up to $55,000 a year to complete their bachelor’s degree. Zeff, our 13th Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, has been accepted to Yale and Columbia universities! We wish him the best of luck as he considers his options and continues his academic journey.
A few of the recent ceremonies honoring our students include the Academic Recognition Ceremony, Student Leadership Awards celebration, Lavender graduation, and the Nurses Pinning Ceremony. Our faculty, too, received the recognition they so richly deserve at the annual Celebration of Teaching & Learning Symposium, which welcomed Dr. Susan Blum to discuss her work on what motivates and demotivates college students.
SUNY WCC was also recognized for its impact on our thousands of students and the community at large through the visits of several high-level officials. SUNY Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Merryl Tisch offered greetings at our 2:00 PM Commencement ceremony, and New York Attorney General Letitia James and her staff facilitated a charities symposium on campus this week for approximately 200 regional non-profit organization staff. This was an opportunity to remind our non-profit colleagues that we stand ready to receive their referrals and to consider opportunities to collaborate to advance our mission-driven work. And, for the first time in our college’s history, a sitting US President visited our campus when President Joseph Biden gave a nationally televised speech from our Hankin Auditorium. We appreciate the opportunity to provide space to outside agencies – regional and national – who select SUNY Westchester Community College as their venue of choice in Westchester County. Recognition of the college’s commitment to academic and workforce development also comes from local organizations such as the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce which invited Vice President Tere Wisell to serve as keynote speaker at their recent monthly meeting, hosted by Dr. Sherry Mayo and her team at the Peekskill Center. Special thanks to all team members and volunteers who worked tirelessly through each day, into the night, and over the weekend to execute these events seamlessly with the highest caliber of professionalism, welcoming spirits, and gracious smiles!
Lastly, I take a moment to recognize the efforts of our Strategic Enrollment Management team, including our Admissions office, for the work they are doing to grow our enrollment pipelines through new high school auto-admissions programs, attending college fairs, and reaching out to community organizations to highlight all the college has to offer. Kudos, also, to all who are creating relationships that bring new students – and potential partners – to the college.
Enjoy the following links to photos from recent events provided by our Creative Communications team:
- Commencement 2023: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAEfhm
- Nurses Pinning Ceremony: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjADMCC
- Lavender Graduation: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjACZxe
- Student Leader Recognition Dinner: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAC17p
- Academic Recognition Ceremony: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAC4X3
- 11th Annual Film Festival: https://flic.kr/s/
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President