Providing Seamless Pathway to Bachelor’s Degrees for Area Residents

Valhalla, NY – February 23, 2023. SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) and Manhattan College have signed a transfer articulation agreement to promote degree completion and facilitate the transfer process, enabling participating SUNY WCC students to matriculate into Manhattan College with junior standing.

SUNY WCC students who graduate with a minimum GPA of 2.5 will be guaranteed admission into Manhattan College and will transfer in with junior standing. A maximum of 60 credits will be applied toward completion of the articulated bachelor’s degree program. SUNY WCC students who earn their Associate’s Degree in any of 21 selected Liberal Arts and Sciences programs in business, communications, environmental studies, humanities or social sciences will have program to program articulation pathways available into related Bachelor’s Degree programs at Manhattan College. A complete list of transfer pathways is available at www.sunywcc.edu/manhattan-transfer.

Manhattan College offers robust institutional merit-based scholarships to provide affordable pathways for eligible SUNY WCC graduates to complete their bachelor’s studies. Scholarships are renewable, as long as students maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, maintain full-time matriculated status and satisfactory academic progress towards a degree.

“SUNY WCC is dedicated to the continued success of our students,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of SUNY Westchester Community College. “This agreement with Manhattan College provides our graduates with the opportunity to seamlessly transfer to an excellent institution where they can continue their studies in a number of social science, humanities or business fields. Agreements such as this allow students to maximize their investment in themselves, develop the skills and knowledge that will help them enter the local job market well-prepared, and to become well-informed members of our community.”

“We are proud to partner with SUNY Westchester Community College and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” said Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC, president of Manhattan College. ‘We are happy to welcome these capable and academically prepared students into the learning community of Manhattan College. I’m certain that they will make distinctive and meaningful contributions to our campus.”

Students interested in learning more about this transfer opportunity should visit www.sunywcc.edu/manhattan-transfer..

WHAT:

SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) and Manhattan College have signed a transfer articulation agreement to promote degree completion and facilitate the transfer process, enabling participating SUNY WCC students to matriculate into Manhattan College with junior standing.

WHEN:

Thursday, February 23, 2023, 2:00pm

WHERE:

SUNY Westchester Community College Valhalla Campus, Davis Auditorium Gateway Center Building

WHO:

• Dr. Belinda Miles, President, SUNY Westchester Community College
• Brother Daniel Gardner, President, Manhattan College
• Dr. Vanessa Morest, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, SUNY WCC
• William Clyde, Executive Vice President and Provost, Manhattan College

BACKGROUND:

SUNY WCC students who graduate with a minimum GPA of 2.5 will be guaranteed admission into Manhattan College and will transfer in with junior standing. A maximum of 60 credits will be applied toward completion of the articulated bachelor’s degree program. SUNY WCC students who earn their Associate’s Degree in any of 21 selected Liberal Arts and Sciences programs in business, communications, environmental studies, humanities or social sciences will have program to program articulation pathways available into related Bachelor’s Degree programs at Manhattan College.

Contact:

Mark Stollar
Director, Strategic Marketing and Communications
SUNY Westchester Community College
914-606-6638
Mark.stollar@sunywcc.edu

SUNY WCC reaffirms commitment to student outcomes through hire of Dante Cantú, an equity-minded higher ed leader specializing in student success innovation.

Valhalla, NY – February 9, 2023. After an extensive search process, SUNY Westchester Community College has named Dante Cantú as its new Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs. In this role, Mr. Cantú will provide leadership and vision for a comprehensive student experience agenda designed to promote belonging, well-being, and achievement for the diverse student body at SUNY WCC, SUNY’s first Hispanic Serving Institution, the most diverse of SUNY’s 64 campuses, and an Achieving the Dream and Guided Pathways college.

Mr. Cantú has nearly 20 years in higher education, as well as years of organizational leadership in the private, not-for-profit and social sectors. Most recently, Mr. Cantú served as the executive director of academic advising and student success at SUNY New Paltz. In this role, Mr. Cantú provided administrative leadership for the University’s integrated advising and student support services while providing collaborative leadership for student success initiatives that are university-wide in scope.

At New Paltz, he worked closely with administrators, faculty, staff, and students to develop a coherent student advising system that is consistent with the institution’s educational mission, vision, and values, with the goal of enhancing the overall student experience for all students.

Mr. Cantú’s contributions in the areas of student learning, development and success have received national recognition. He has presented at regional and national conferences on a range of topics related to student success and retention, strategies for supporting non-traditional populations, and leadership development. He is actively involved with leading national and statewide organizations such as NACADA, the Gardner Institute, the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, NASPA’s Advising Success Network, and the NYS Student Success Center’s Coaching Academy.

“SUNY WCC is excited and fortunate to gain the services of such an accomplished college administrator,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of SUNY Westchester Community College. “Mr. Cantú’s extensive experience in enhancing a culture of success will be invaluable as SUNY WCC continues increasing student graduation rates and serving an increasingly diverse community.”

“I am truly honored and thrilled to join the SUNY Westchester Community College community as a member of Dr. Miles’s senior leadership team,” said Mr. Cantú. “SUNY WCC’s mission to provide a high quality education that is accessible and affordable resonates deeply with me, and I look forward to getting to know the many talented and dedicated members of the college community so that I can better understand the mission-driven work currently being done. I also look forward to cultivating partnerships across the institution that seek to build upon the institution’s traditions, its recent successes, and its unwavering commitment to an exceptional student experience to ensure the most prosperous future for WCC and the students we collectively serve.”

Mr. Cantú received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his M.A. from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

Arc of the Viral and Moral Universe Notebook Project, 2022 New York, November 29, 2022.

The Center for the Digital Arts Gallery of SUNY Westchester Peekskill is presenting Arc of the Moral and Viral Universe Notebooks on view from February 1 through April 26, 2023. The opening reception will be on Thursday, February 16, 2023 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the public is welcome. 

I do not pretend to understand the moral universe, the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways.  I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience.  But from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice. –Theodore Parker, 1853

“Deeply concerned about the trajectory of justice in our country in 2018, I found Theodore Parker’s (1853) words recurring in my mind.  Does it indeed bend towards justice?” — Carla Rae Johnson (2022)

Johnson put out a call for participants in a notebook project to address the “Arc of the Moral Universe.”  That yielded more than 60 volumes filled with drawings, sketches, writing, lyrics, photos, montages, cut-outs, fold-outs, and abstractions documenting one year in each of their lives.

In 2020, Johnson confronted the reality of a world-wide viral pandemic and the “Arc of the Viral Universe” was the result.  She invited participants from another notebook project, plus 100 more creative individuals from all walks of life.  This resulted in over 30 bound volumes documenting daily lives, unease about the future, concerns for the planet, outrage at the effects of systemic racism, apprehensions about threats to democracy, and glimmerings of hope in the midst of the most challenging of times.  They confirmed her belief that “creative people are among the ones to register these events and respond in hopeful, compassionate, and positive ways.”

Carla Rae Johnson’s art includes drawing, sculpture, conceptual, performance, and installation art. Her work is connected to ideas and often addresses issues of social, political, and cultural import.  She is a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Drawing, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow in Sculpture, and the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant.  Her work has been exhibited nationally and in New York City.

Ms. Johnson has an MFA and has been an arts educator for over 38 years.  She recently retired from her position as a Professor of Art at SUNY Westchester Valhalla where she taught from 2003 to 2016.  She is now delighted to devote her energies to art, full-time.

For more information about Carla Rae Johnson, please visit www.carlaraejohnson.org.  For more information on the Arc of the Moral Universe: A Notebook Project @thefirstnotebookproject and Arc of the Viral Universe @anotebookproject. You may also contact peekskill@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-7300 for opening reception information and viewing hours. For more information about The Center for the Digital Arts Gallery, please visit www.sunywcc.edu/peekskill

State-of-the-art facilities provide students in southern Westchester and northern Bronx convenient access to degree programs and student services.

Yonkers – November 14, 2022. SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC), in a continuation of its commitment to deploying innovative ways to extend access to higher learning, launched a new state-of-the-art location in Yonkers to expand pathways to high-demand jobs and workforce development for the growing college population. SUNY Westchester Yonkers, located in the Cross County Center, is easily accessible for residents of southern Westchester and northern Bronx looking to pursue degree programs or workforce training. Today’s ceremonial ribbon cutting marks a new era for SUNY Westchester’s partnerships in Yonkers.

SUNY Westchester Yonkers offers a full array of student services, over 130 classes, and courses for selected associate degree programs. Its high-tech facilities include HyFlex Classrooms configured to support a flexible teaching environment utilizing advanced equipment that enables face-to-face and synchronous online learning simultaneously. The new location includes a fashion design lab for students who want to earn a degree in Fashion Design & Technology, as well as computer and science labs.

Other programs offered at SUNY Westchester Yonkers include Criminal Justice, Business Management and Liberal Arts. Workforce development and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are also offered. Additionally, students have access to clubs, student support services, and academic support.

“Supporting students where they live and work is essential to the SUNY WCC experience,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “I am proud of our efforts to freeze tuition and expand services so the residents of southern Westchester can have even more opportunities to better themselves and their families both now and for generations to come.”

“This partnership with SUNY Westchester allows students to continue achieving academic excellence while training to develop important skills required for the workforce,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “This location opens the door to students in Yonkers and the surrounding areas to experience education in a setting unlike any other. I am confident the City of Yonkers can offer internship and job opportunities for students to continue to grow.”

“SUNY Westchester Community College has a mission of providing high quality education that is accessible and affordable,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of Westchester Community College. “Our new Yonkers location makes the most affordable college in the region geographically convenient for the thousands of residents in southern Westchester and the northern Bronx who seek a high-quality post-secondary education and gain high-demand middle skills jobs.”

“We are thrilled to welcome SUNY Westchester community to Cross County Center,” said Craig Deitelzweig, president and CEO of Marx Realty. “Cross County Center operates as a ‘town square’ for the community and we believe SUNY Westchester’s expansion and commitment to the Center will further its success and add to its dynamism and vibrancy.”

“SUNY Westchester Community College has been a long-time tenant at Cross County Center, and we are delighted by their continued expansion and success” added Jim Stifel, Executive Vice President, Benenson Capital Management.

SUNY Westchester Yonkers, located in Cross County Center at the intersection of Route I-87 and the Cross County Parkway, is easily accessible via public transportation or by car with ample free parking. Registration is open for spring classes that begin January 17.

For more information about programs and services at the SUNY Westchester Yonkers call 914-606-7100 or visit www.sunywcc.edu/yonkers.

Interim results of rigorous randomized control trial show impressive performance of a new program based on City University of New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs

MDRC and SUNY Westchester Community College (WCC) announced new study results evaluating a comprehensive student support program that substantially increased student success.

SUNY WCC’s Viking ROADS (Resources for Obtaining Associate Degrees and Success) increased full-time enrollment levels for participating students by up to 20 percentage points over students in a control group, and increased credit attainment by roughly 3 credits over the first two semesters. Taken together, these findings suggest that the program enabled more students to persist and take more credits than they would have otherwise. In addition, students were able to manage this increased course load and make faster progress toward graduation.

Viking ROADS is an opportunity program that helps motivated students graduate with an Associate Degree in three years or less. In exchange for full-time study and fulfilling program requirements, students receive personalized advising and financial and academic support. Among the eligibility requirements for participating in the program, students must be a New York State resident, be a first-time student in a college or a continuing/transfer student with no more than 18 credits and at least a 2.0 GPA, and enroll in an eligible major. Over 70% of the students involved in the study identified as Black or Latinx, and more than 30% were the first in their family to attend a college or university.

“At a time when an increasing number of community college students were diverted from their studies due to the hardships imposed by the pandemic, SUNY WCC’s Viking ROADS program demonstrated significant success in guiding and encouraging students to achieve their academic goals,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of SUNY Westchester Community College. “SUNY WCC’s commitment to academic success is evidenced by our increasing graduation rate overall. The results of this Viking ROADS study, along with our other opportunity programs, confirm that SUNY WCC has the tools in place to continue this positive trend that has such critical importance in the lives of our students, their families, and our region’s economic growth.”

Viking ROADS, launched in 2018 with major support from Arnold Ventures and an anonymous WCC Foundation donor, is based closely on the successful City University of New York’s (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), a comprehensive community college program that doubled three-year graduation rates in prior evaluations in New York City and Ohio. SUNY WCC received technical assistance from CUNY during the study replication.

Like CUNY ASAP, Viking ROADS offers students a comprehensive, integrated, three-year package of support including:

1. Academic and career support: a dedicated academic counselor, tutoring services, career services, and summer college orientation
2. Financial supports: a scholarship that covers the gap between grant aid and tuition and fees, a monthly transportation voucher, and an annual textbook stipend of $500
3. Specialized course enrollment options, including reserved seats in select first-year courses

To receive these benefits, Viking ROADS students are required to enroll full time at WCC, complete required developmental courses within the first year, and use support services monthly.

“What is striking about the Viking ROADS’ early findings is how remarkably similar they are to the impacts we saw here at CUNY with ASAP and within the ASAP replication in Ohio,” said Donna Linderman, CUNY Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “This serves as another demonstration of how powerful the ASAP model can be across varying implementation settings.”

Anyone interested in applying to SUNY Westchester Community College should visit www.sunywcc.edu/admissions

About The City University of New York

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving over 243,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.

About MDRC

MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, is committed to finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation — from reducing poverty and bolstering economic mobility to improving public education and college graduation rates. MDRC designs promising new interventions, evaluates existing programs using the highest research standards, and provides technical assistance to build better programs and deliver effective interventions at scale.

The Westchester Community College Foundation will be hosting its annual Great Chefs event, featuring more than a dozen chefs from leading restaurants in Westchester County and gourmet food, fine wine and alcohol purveyors. Great Chefs 2022 will be held Tuesday, November 15 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on the Valhalla campus of Westchester Community College.

Guests will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with culinary experts, enjoy a tasting of special pre-holiday menus and learn first-hand about their culinary backgrounds. These celebrated chefs will showcase their culinary specialties with the assistance of SUNY WCC’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students.

Participating restaurants include: Ace Endico, Augustine’s Salumeria, The Cookery, DeCicco & Sons, Ladle of Love, Meraki Taverna, Fatt Root, Rocco’s, Sam’s of Gedney Way, Tredici North, and Trotta Pasta. Beverage sponsors are: Captain Lawrence Brewery, Thompson’s Cider Mill, and The Wine Enthusiast.

“The Great Chefs series has been a mainstay for the Foundation’s fundraising efforts, as well as an exciting event anticipated by hundreds of members of our community,” said Chef Philip McGrath, Department Chair of the college’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Program and former chef and owner of Iron Horse Grill. “We are excited to unveil a new format this year in which all our great chefs will appear on one evening of delicious food, fine wines and other beverages, and scintillating discussion. The evening will kick off the holiday spirit for these professionals and the guests.”

Proceeds will benefit the WCC Foundation’s Scholarship Fund and support students facing food insecurity. We will also offer Turkey Dinner Tickets; for every $25 donation, a Thanksgiving meal can be donated to a student family in need.

Due to limited seating, it is recommended that people buy their tickets in advance at www.sunywcc.edu/great-chefs.

Peekskill and Ossining high school students are now eligible for automatic general admission to SUNY Westchester Community College, facilitating the college application process for graduating seniors.

October 20, 2022 – Valhalla, New York

SUNY Westchester Community College today announced new college admissions programs with Peekskill City School District and Ossining Union Free School District. Similar to the recent partnership with Port Chester Schools, seniors from these high schools may bypass the traditional application process for automatic admission to SUNY Westchester Community College. With student and parent consent, the high schools in these districts transmit personal and academic information through secure electronic transfer to SUNY Westchester, which automatically admits eligible students who are completing high school diploma requirements. The new approach streamlines college entry by eliminating two critical barriers: the college application and the application fee.

“This collaboration with Ossining and Peekskill is an expansion of a program that revolutionizes the college application process for high school students in our county,” said SUNY Westchester Community College President Dr. Belinda S. Miles. “It is important to remove barriers that might otherwise impede students from reaching their full potential, for their sakes as well as for our region’s growth and vitality. A SUNY Westchester education is a gateway to high-wage, high-demand jobs and high-quality academic pathways.”

“The Ossining School District has a long-standing partnership with Westchester Community College,” said Dr. Raymond Sanchez, Superintendent of Ossining Union Free School District. “This new initiative is a prime example of how we have come together to find ways to remove barriers and provide high-impact programming for students. I am confident that this partnership will help students achieve their dream of college.”

“We are very excited to expand our partnership opportunities with Westchester Community College,” said Peekskill Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Mauricio. “Peekskill High School currently offers several dual enrollment classes with WCC, as well as a Culinary and Hospitality program. We also have a convenient WCC extension site located in our downtown area, a mile from our high school. By removing the barriers involved with the college application process, we are able to provide an accessible resource for our scholars to further their post-secondary goals. For those who chose this pathway, WCC is a great, affordable option.”

Over the past three years, an average of nearly 150 high school seniors from Ossining and Peekskill chose to attend SUNY Westchester each year, making this a high-impact program for both districts. Seniors who opt-in to sharing information with SUNY Westchester will skip the admissions application process and receive an application fee waiver. The innovative program reduces anxiety around college admissions by transitioning students directly into SUNY Westchester’s Viking VIP program, which provides priority appointments with academic and financial aid counselors, preferred access to new student orientation services, and an exclusive invitation to SUNY WCC Commitment Day. Students from Ossining and Peekskill will have the option to attend classes that fit their schedules at the main campus in Valhalla or at SUNY WCC Extension Centers located in those towns.

Qualified seniors from these high schools are offered automatic general admission to SUNY Westchester. Students seeking entry into special programs such as nursing or veterinary technology must still meet corresponding program admission requirements. For more information, contact the SUNY Westchester Community College Admissions Office at Admissions@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-6735.

At Least 8 Members of the National Honors Society Join SUNY Westchester Community College’s 2022 Cohort of Honors College Students

October 19, 2022

SUNY Westchester Community College welcomed a new cohort of 20 students into its Honors College for the fall 2022 semester. This is the sixth entering cohort since the Honors College founding in 2017. These ambitious scholars are pursuing SUNY and NYSDE approved honors-designated degrees in one of two curricula: Liberal Arts and Sciences: Social Science, or Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities. Honors College students are chosen following a rigorous selection process, including extensive applications, recommendations and interviews.

Accepted students receive guaranteed tuition coverage and substantial textbook stipends from the SUNY WCC Foundation thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. They will have to fulfill at least 40% of their program requirements at the honors level and maintain a 3.5 GPA to graduate with an honors-designated associate degree. These student scholars also have access to specialized co-curricular programming, including the study abroad program offered in partnership with Cambridge University, the Philosophia Honors Society, student conferences and symposia, student publications, and internships.

“I was on High Honor Roll all throughout high school and was a part of the New York State Mathematics Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the Spanish Honor Society,” said Gabriela Velasquez, graduate of Peekskill High School. “Due to my financial situation, I have always been concerned that I would not be able to afford to go to college. I am very grateful for this opportunity to pursue a Liberal Arts Social Science Honors degree at SUNY WCC and then continue my studies in Computer Science at CUNY.”

“SUNY Westchester Community College is an institution where those with a passion to improve and achieve can find the resources and instruction needed to reach their goals,” said WCC President Dr. Belinda Miles. “Students from all walks of life, with a diverse array of needs and interests, seek their opportunity on our campus. Our most recent Honors College students are not just an elite cohort; they exemplify the spirit of all our students. From the student whose life goal is to help teens in need of mental assistance because she was told that adolescents like her shouldn’t have any mental issues to the immigrant student who plans to become a lawyer and advocate for human rights, WCC will be preparing a new generation of change-makers whose vision and devotion will help make our region – and our nation – a better place.”

“We are proud of the opportunities we offer our high-achieving students, such as those in our Honors College. WCC offers these students a tremendous foundation for pursuing their academic goals at such four-year institutions as Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, Williams, NYU, Sarah Lawrence, as well as SUNY campuses and local colleges.”

Honors College Class of 2024 Cohort:

Liberal Arts and Sciences: Social Science A.A., Honors Concentration
Charlise Alverio Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management, New York, NY
Paula Davila Putnam Valley High School, Putnam Valley, NY
Kiarah Filippakopoulos Putnam Valley High School, Putnam Valley, NY
Alicia Greco Correa Rye Neck High School, Mamaroneck, NY
Luis Hernandez Walter Panas High School, Cortland Manor, NY
John Hayes Salesian High School, New Rochelle, NY
Evelyn Lopez White Plains High School, White Plains, NY
Carolina Mendoza New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY
Markian Nychka Byram Hills High School, Armonk, NY
Angelina Rivera Yonkers High School, Yonkers, NY
Jessica Sabau Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
Peter Saca Alexander Hamilton High School, Elmsford, NY
Patrick Sullivan Fordham Preparatory School, Bronx, NY
Andres Suna Guzman Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
Lotus Taylor Homestead High School, Cupertino, CA
Michael Tetro Walter Panas High School, Cortland Manor, NY
Sinsha Varghese Port Chester High School, Port Chester, NY
Gabriela Velasquez Peekskill High School, Peekskill, NY

Liberal Arts and Sciences: Humanities A.A., Honors Concentration
Carolina Martins Soares de Oliveira Centro Educational Sagrada Familia, Brasilia Distrito Federal, Brazil
Mary Whelan The Ursuline High School, New Rochelle, NY

Program aims to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in creating a sound financial plan for their businesses, improving outcomes for success

August 3, 2022 – Valhalla, New York – SUNY Westchester Community College and Wells Fargo today announced a new program that provides free financial awareness and literacy education training to small business owners and entrepreneurs who are seeking to be approved for business loans from local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

The new 20-hour classroom program, which will be presented over two 10-week periods at the College’s new White Plains Education and Training Center, is designed to assist small businesses in the creation of a sound financial plan for their businesses. Topics covered will include banking services, time management, financial management, recordkeeping, business credit, risk management, insurance, tax planning and reporting, selling your business, succession planning and managing cash flow.

“The changing economic landscape brought about by the COVID pandemic has had a devastating effect on the ability of small businesses to thrive,” said Teresita Wisell, Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Education at SUNY Westchester Community College. “This effect has had a greater impact on minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs who face additional obstacles in acquiring capital and credit to start or expand their businesses. This program will assist business owners in creating a sound financial plan, guiding their growth, and addressing the repair of the owner’s credit score where needed.”

“Wells Fargo is proud to sponsor this program because we believe in the College’s mission to help provide financial awareness and literacy education at no cost to small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Catherine Domenech, Vice President, New York Community Relations at Wells Fargo. “We know the last few years haven’t been easy, especially for small business owners who are trying to make ends meet during the pandemic. This program will be crucial in helping these small businesses and entrepreneurs achieve financial success and create long-term economic growth here in Westchester County.”

As part of the program, the College has partnered with Community Capital New York (CCNY), a local CDFI, to serve as the main business recruiter by identifying small businesses who would benefit from a loan to grow their operations. These business owners will be encouraged to sign up for the financial education trainings as a condition to a successful application for a loan with CCNY.

Courses began on August 3rd at the White Plains Education and Training Center (WPETC) located at 303 Quarropas Street in White Plains. Classes are available in English and Spanish. For more information on these and future classes or to apply for registration, contact the WPETC at wpetc@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-7550.