Kate Olivera

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Stefan Ryan

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Headshot of Stefan in a suit

 

Stefan Ryan is a SUNY Ulster alum who graduated in 2014 with an associate’s degree in Engineering Science: Electrical Engineering. Stefan was familiar with the successful foundation SUNY Ulster provides students before enrolling here because both of his parents were also alumni! Stefan knew entering college he wanted to be an engineer, and he also knew the first two years of most college engineering programs were very similar. With this in mind, he made his decision to attend SUNY Ulster. He knew he “ would receive an equivalent education from SUNY Ulster as [he] would have at a 4-year University”. 

After Stefan’s graduation, he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic University for a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. During his time at RPI, he worked part-time as an application developer at IBM. After graduating Stefan began working at Lockheed Martin, and while working full time, completed his Masters of Engineering from Cornell University in 2018. Eventually, Stefan made the decision to move from Electrical Engineering to Cyber Security and relocated to Orlando, FL. 

Stefan says “The professors I had at Ulster were the biggest part of my success in education”.  Reflecting on his time here, Stefan looks back fondly on Professor Plumb, Professor Mistry,  Professor Douglas Furman, and “most of all Jules Albertini. They taught me the fundamentals of Engineering in Calculus and Differential Equations”.

Having been part of a family of SUNY Ulster graduates Stefan advocates for people to go to two-year colleges first. SUNY Ulster is a “great alternative to the growing pressure for all high school graduates attending a four-year college right after high school.” Stefan was able to pay for his entire associate’s degree and accrued zero debt before transferring to a four-year school. 

Stefan receiving and award

Congratulations on your accomplishments Stefan!

This weeks #MadeItMonday goes out to Brennan Mulligan

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Brennan posing pensively with hands together

Humanities / Philosophy 2005

Brennan Mulligan graduated from SUNY Ulster in 2005 with an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts: Humanities with a concentration in Philosophy. He continued his path of higher education to SVA, where he obtained his Bachelor’s in Film/ Screenwriting Direction. After graduation, he performed and taught at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, before joining the CollegeHumor cast!

Since joining CollegeHumor Brennan has been a sketch writer, performer, and now  Gamemaster for their actual play web series, Dimension 20. 

“I use the lessons I learned at SUNY Ulster, and specifically in philosophy classes with Professor Tom Davis, every single day! Philosophy and comedy are deeply intertwined, philosophy is one of the most practical degrees you could have in this line of work.”- Mulligan”

When asked what his overriding memory of SUNY Ulster was, he replied, “One of joy, engagement, excitement, and fun! I had an incredible time attending SUNY Ulster, getting involved with student activism for the first time, and expanding my horizons, both internally and externally.”

Brennan started here, and has definitely gone far! 

Brennan with dimension 20 logo above him

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Alejandro M. Duran Sanchez

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Portrait Photograph of Alejandro

Business Administration 2019’

Alejandro Sanchez graduated from SUNY Ulster in 2019 after completing his Associate’s Degree in Business Administration. Sanchez’s road to success was not always easy but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. Alejandro’s decision was solidified when he found out his peers who had attended four-year colleges “had outstanding debt, well over $25,000” after their first two years.

After graduating from high school Alejandro Sanchez’s family was incredibly unhappy with his decision to attend a community college instead of a four-year college, but he insisted it was the right choice for his future. “To this day I’m happy with the decision I made in attending SUNY Ulster”. Once Alejandro completed his Associate’s Degree he transferred to SUNY Albany and in two years finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. 

During his time at SUNY Ulster Sanchez remembers conversations with William Russell, a Library Assistant on campus. The two would meet weekly and Russell would share his wisdom with Alejandro. Alejandro specifically remembers a quote William Russell once said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” 

Alejandro Sanchez is currently the founder and CEO of Volna Unalign, a digital marketing agency located in the Hudson Valley. He acknowledges that being a business owner can be taxing but rewarding and believes he “wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for SUNY Ulster”.

Finally, Alejandro has his own words of wisdom for all students currently enrolled in SUNY Ulster, “Don’t give up, find your gift, and remember to share it with everyone.” He continues, “We all started somewhere, now it’s your turn to go far.”

Alejandro at scholarship ceremony

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to John Steup!

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Portrait photograph of John Steup

John Steup graduated from SUNY Ulster in 1999, earning an AAS in Design Drafting and an AA in Math Science (Geology). Since his graduation, he has attended two colleges: Portland State University and the University of Southern California. Steup is now working toward his  Ed.D (Doctor of Education). 

Shortly after graduating from SUNY Ulster Steup began working with a  music distribution company for independent musicians called CD Baby in Woodstock. At this company, Steup was the VP of Operations from 1998 to 2006. CD Baby was built from a two-person start-up to a “model of international e-commerce.” John’s next adventure took him to Portland State University where he graduated in 2010 with a double major in Social Science and Liberal Studies before moving on to achieve his Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Southern California. 

As a high school dropout, Steup was not sure that he could manage college, but the program in Design Drafting seemed to be a perfect fit. Steup focuses on how SUNY Ulster gave him “a sense of accomplishment” and how “the professors challenged [him] to think harder and reach higher”. As the graffiti Abatement Coordinator in Portland, Oregon the coursework Steup took at SUNY Ulster “continues to be a foundation to [his] daily work life”.

Check out more of John’s incredible work on LinkedIn

Portrait of John Steup and dog 

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Jess Robie

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Jess Robie posing

Nursing Major

Jess Robie was a Nursing student here at SUNY Ulster before her graduation in 2016. Initially, her attendance at SUNY Ulster was planted in its convenient location, being only two miles away from her home but she soon came to realize the plethora of other advantages to attending SUNY Ulster. According to Robie SUNY Ulster “seemed like a convenient and affordable way for [her] to switch careers”. 

Since graduating Robie has worked as a respiratory nurse for Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley and a Chronic Care Manager at Medical Associates of the Hudson Valley, as well as a nurse practitioner at smaller-scale practices.  Robie still honors her original goal of being a primary care provider that is versed in both traditional and alternative medicine and is excited to embark on a new journey at Drs. Engel and Lindgren Family Medicine as a general practitioner. 

Reflecting on her time at SUNY Ulster Robie remembers being “hunkered down somewhere with friends studying used NCLEX style questions to practice”. Robie also distinctly remembers a few of her professors at SUNY Ulster listing Nancy Decker, Don Terpening, Lisa Schulti, and Ellen Tangeny as her favorites. According to Robie “the nursing faculty have been huge advocates and supporters ” of hers. Many of her classmates have now become co-workers. Of all her nursing education she believes SUNY Ulster “was both the most rigorous and intense” claiming it was “top-notch”. Not only did Robie graduate and get offered a job at the base salary of $50k a year, but she was also able to graduate with zero debt before moving on to achieving her master’s degree in nursing. 

Hats off to you Jess Robie, and enjoy the next chapter of your career!

 

jess robie

SUNY Ulster Students Bring Awareness to Fashion Sustainability Options

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SUNY Ulster students looking at the flip book for reuse reduce recycle they made.

After learning the harsh realities of the fashion industry from their professor Kristin Flynn, four first year students at SUNY Ulster sought to bring attention to the harmful impact of ‘fast-fashion’ and the steps we can all take to limit our footprint.

Rosa Onderdonk-Knaus, Jackson Zavala, Arden Johnson, and Izzy Vicari note a few issues with the industry:

  • 8% of global Carbon emissions are due to the fashion industry
  • 10% of microplastics in our oceans originate from textiles
  • 85% of all textiles end up in landfills yearly 

The Fashion industry’s global emissions are expected to double by the end of the decade. “We want to empower people to make choices that help lessen the impact” Vicari said during an interview with Blue Stone Press reporter, Anne Pyburn Craig. The foursome is promoting the old adage, “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle”. 

The students agree that a cultural transition from fast-fashion to sustainable fashion will be a tough but necessary shift. The average person in the United States discards 81 pounds of clothing each year. To put that in perspective, that’s about the weight of a twelve year old child. Instead of tossing clothing into the trash over a rip or missing button Vitari suggests learning some “simple mending”, in fact events like Repair Cafe in Kingston are a wonderful resource to learn these skills. All the students encourage people to recycle properly using Fab Scrap which picks up leftover materials or The Blue Jeans Go Green program that collects denim (made from cotton) so that it can be recycled back to its original fiber state and transformed into something new.

 In addition to reducing our closets turning door, we can all be conscientious when we buy. Pre-loved and gently used clothing from Peoples Place, Lovefield Consignment, and Rock Candy Vintage always have beautiful clothing that you can feel good about purchasing. Finally, turn those old threads into funky new items to give them a new life! 

After learning about the environmental impact of the fashion industry these students are still passionate about the field they’ve chosen, and seem to have valuable ideas and information to share about the future of the fashion industry. Cavala admits she’s “absolutely getting a solid and excellent foundation” here at SUNY Ulster.

Reuse, reduce, recycle flip book

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Dina Peone!

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Dina peone looking at camera

Liberal Arts: Humanities & Social Sciences and Creative Writing: Dina Peone ‘13

Since graduating with an Associate degree in Liberal Arts in 2013 Dina Peone has gone on to share her writing talents with others! Currently a lecturer at the University of Chicago,  Peone has committed herself to helping others with their writing by designing and teaching unique nonfiction writing courses.

Six years before Peone enrolled at SUNY Ulster, she sustained a severe burn injury that nearly took her life and ability to write. During her time at SUNY Ulster, she recovered some of the confidence she would need to continue pursuing her goals. “SUNY Ulster is where I discovered a structured, community-supported environment in which I could safely begin writing about the fire.”   She adds that the College allowed her to “recognize that the fire had not destroyed [her] potential”. 

With unwavering spirit, Peone continued striving for excellence. After completing her degree at SUNY Ulster Dina Peone was accepted to her top school, Sarah Lawrence where she attained a Bachelor’s degree, and swears SUNY Ulster played a pivotal role in that success, “SUNY Ulster’s consistent recognition of my efforts is one reason I got accepted by seven out of eight four-year colleges”. Once enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College, Peone’s love for writing continued to flourish and enabled her to be a co-founder of a literary journal titled Cliffhanger, where she served as editor-in-chief.  

Dina went on to earn her MFA in nonfiction at the prestigious University of Iowa (’18) and then joined the Iowa faculty as a Visiting Assistant Professor and taught the Nonfiction Writing Program’s first-ever online course.

Today, Peone is teaching her own thesis workshop as well as being a thesis adviser to undergraduate students at U. Chi. Reflecting on her trials and tribulations Peone was ecstatic to share the passion SUNY Ulster had ignited in her and the tremendous gratitude she had for the college. “To my great delight, I am continuously learning what I am capable of. I now fully believe that, at any given time, I am capable of achieving far more than I can imagine.” – Dina Peone

 

This week’s #MadeitMonday goes out to Jonathan Rhea!

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Jonathon Rhea looking at the view from a tower

Environmental Control/ Hazardous Waste Management: Jonathan Rhea ‘93

Jonathan Rhea is an Environmental Control / Hazardous Waste Management student who graduated in 1993 and continued his education at SUNY Plattsburgh where he completed his Baccalaureate Degree in Environmental Science. During his time at SUNY Ulster Rhea discovered his creative side in Ellen Robbins Creative Writing Class, and remembers her as a “wonderful kind person” who “showed genuine enthusiasm for things [he] created.”

After graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh, Rhea became an Asbestos Inspector and an Environmental Assessor in Poughkeepsie, NY. After working in the environmental field for some time, Rhea felt he was “acquiring responsibilities for computer systems” and was “unhappy with the profiteering nature” of the field. 

Rhea then “made the jump to IT” taking on a job as Network Support Specialist at Colleges and “never looked back”. More than twenty years later, Rhea still works for the same company, now called Ellucian here at SUNY Ulster. Over the course of his career here he has held multiple positions including Chief Information Officer for 15 years. 

Rhea explains that SUNY Ulster has “been a central part of [his] life for the past three decades!” and believes that “As an alum and a long-time employee, SUNY Ulster has provided [him] with every opportunity that [he has] had the good fortune to take advantage of”.

Not only did Rhea graduate from SUNY Ulster but his son,  Jonathan Rhea Jr, graduated from SUNY Ulster’s Computer Science program in May of 2021. Rhea would recommend SUNY Ulster to others because “the SUNY Ulster experience is fantastic preparation for embarking on new chapters of one’s life.” and because “this college has everything to do with who I am and how far I’ve come”. 

We are all proud to have Jonathan Rhea on our team here at SUNY Ulster as Director for the Office of Information Technology. And, we thank him for helping to ensure that our faculty, staff, and students have the best technology possible delivered. 

Fighting Hunger One Bag at a Time

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Peanut butter and Jelly on a rack in the Pantry

The Pantry at SUNY Ulster is proud to announce that it has been selected as January’s nonprofit for the West Hurley Hannaford Fight Hunger Program. Each month, the Hannaford Fight Hunger Bag Program selects a remarkable nonprofit local to each store to benefit from the purchase of every Fight Hunger Bag.

During the month of January, for every $2.50 spent on Fight Hunger Bags, $1.00 will be awarded to The Pantry at SUNY Ulster. The Pantry at SUNY Ulster provides students, faculty, and staff who may be experiencing food insecurity, with food and select personal care items, in a stigma-free environment. The more bags that are purchased, the more needs can be filled!

Add fighting hunger to your New Year’s Resolutions! Purchase your Fight Hunger Bags at  Hannaford 295 State Route 375, West Hurley NY.

The Pantry at SUNY Ulster is located on the Stone Ridge Campus in Vanderlyn Hall, Room 155, around the corner from the Senators Store Bookstore.

SUNY Ulster is Helping the Community During the Holidays and You Can Too!

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Suny ulster campus building with holiday lights

The season for giving is upon us here at SUNY Ulster and our clubs are busy at work helping our community. 

The Human Services Club plans on sponsoring a family this Christmas season through Christmas Wishes Ulster County. Christmas Wishes Ulster County is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 in hopes of helping families during the Christmas season. With help from generous donors and volunteers, they are now able to help families all year long! If you’re interested in sponsoring  a family or child you’re invited to do so!

The Veterans Club has been collecting bottles to donate to the Catskills Animal sanctuary. Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a 150-acre refuge in New York’s Hudson Valley for 11 species of farmed animals rescued from cruelty, neglect and abandonment. Although the holiday drive has concluded at SUNY Ulster you can still donate or sponsor an animal. Your gift gives love and support to animals needing sanctuary, heals our ailing planet, and helps create a harmonious world for all living beings.

The Nursing Club is helping seniors create holiday greeting cards at Ten Broeck Commons in Lake Katrine to help promote the coziness, security and enhanced quality of life Ten Broeck is known for. All donations of craft supplies for the event are appreciated and can be dropped off on the SUNY Ulster campus at Hardenburgh Hall, Room 130-C until December 15.

This is the time of year for giving but these groups appreciate and accept donations all year round. Remember to spread cheer throughout the year!