Stories of SUNY Ulster

Two SUNY Ulster Students Receive 2023 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

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SUNY Ulster Press Release

April 26, 2023 – Stone Ridge, NY – SUNY Ulster is proud to announce Mark LaBorde and Arianna Moore, both of New Paltz, NY as the recipients of the 2023 State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. This award recognizes students who have demonstrated academic excellence along with significant campus, community, or career accomplishments. A ceremony took place on Monday, April 24 at the Albany Capital Center in Downtown Albany, NY.

Mark LaBorde is a Music Major with a concentration in Voice and is President of the SUNY Ulster Music Club as well as a member of the Environmental Club. Mark is also a member of the Alpha Rho Delta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and currently holds a 3.6 grade point average and was named on our 2021 Dean’s list for both semesters and President’s list for fall 2022. After graduation this May, Mark plans to attend SUNY New Paltz.

Arianna Moore is a Fine Arts Major and is an active member of the SUNY Ulster community. Arianna is a member of the Student Government Organization as well as a member of the Alpha Rho Delta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. In addition to her extracurricular activities, Arianna maintains a 3.9 grade point average and her artwork has been accepted and displayed in the Chancellor’s Gallery. Currently Arianna is a student aide for both the Community Relations Department and the Fine Arts Department at SUNY Ulster. Due to her commitment and dedication to her academics as well as her community, Arianna has been recognized on the college’s past three President’s Lists, has been awarded the College Scholars Award, and the SUFA: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award for both 2022 and 2023.

“SUNY Ulster’s award recipients are a tremendous source of inspiration,” said Alison Buckley, Ed.D., President. “Both Arianna and Mark, our 2023 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence honorees, serve as leaders within our institution, are engaged in student life, prioritize their academic coursework, and serve our community. Congratulations on your contributions to SUNY Ulster as you Start Here and Go Far!”

The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement, or career achievement. Each year, SUNY campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews the accomplishments of exemplary students. Nominees are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for a second round of review. Finalists are then recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the award.

“There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and each of the students recognized today is an example of our extraordinary student body and their rich and diverse ‘SUNY stories,’” said Chancellor King. “Student success is at the core of everything we do, and I am honored to celebrate students from 63 SUNY campuses who are receiving this year’s Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence. Every student can find their community at SUNY, and I congratulate each of the CASE winners for making the most out of their college experience.”

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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

 

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.

Yom HaShoah Remembrance Day

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Star of David symbol next to lit candles

Tonight (April 27) marks the beginning of Yom HaShoah, a day to commemorate and remember the Holocaust, its victims, and its survivors. April is also Genocide Awareness Month. 

During this time, we not only reflect on the horrors that humans are capable of inflicting on others but on the goodness that people are also capable of and the resilience of survivors to build new lives.

A few weeks ago, President Biden declared April 24 – May 1, 2022, as a week of observance of the Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust and called upon the people of the United States to observe this week to remember victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

Here is his full proclamation: 

In addition, there are several people on campus who are children of Holocaust survivors and whose parents were interviewed for Steven Spielberg’s testimony project for the Shoah foundation. 

The story of  Buena Alcalay Pearlman, can be found on YouTube

Buena Alcalay Pearlman
Buena Alcalay Pearlman

The stories of  Lola & Walter Kaufman can be found found on Google. 

Lola and Walter Kaufman
Lola and Walter Kaufman

There have been other genocides that have occurred in recent history against Armenians, Rwandans, Cambodians, and Bosnians. And, of course, in Ukraine today. 

Here’s to hoping that “Never Again” can become the goal of all humankind.

Diversity logo SUNY Ulster (multi-colored Us)

 

Get Involved in Virtual Get-Togethers

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Group photo of the E-sports club with Professor Sheehan

So, here we are.

bored, bear, tv, popcorn

Home. All the time! Boredom setting in. Isolated from our friends. What can we do to stay sane? Let’s figure out how to get out of our chairs, put the remotes down, and be a part of that thing called LIFE!

 

Well, Get Involved, Of Course!

At SUNY Ulster we have a number of groups and activities reaching out to each other and the community. Thank goodness for modern technology! With so many outlets for communication and participation, we never have to be bored.

fairy tale, storybookAn example of a great give-and-take opportunity is the Story Time on Demand available to the entire SUNYUlster family. This provides multicultural themed stories to participants read by fellow students and faculty. You can participate by viewing as well as recording a story for others to access.

For more information about this and other opportunities to interact contact the Coordinator of Campus Life, Meg Sheeley at sheeleym@sunyulster.edu .

ESports ClubAnother opportunity for connecting with others is through various clubs at SUNY Ulster. My spotlight is going out to the ESports Club. ESports are a great way to interact while still practicing social distancing. They have an amazing tournament coming up which is open to ALL 64 SUNY schools! Chancellor Johnson wanted to make a way for students to get creatively involved throughout this time.

The ESports tournament will include games like Fortnite and Super Smash Brothers. The tournament will work to raise money for #SUNY Together Student Emergency Funds.

So, come out! Support your school, help your fellow classmates, have a great time!

For more information about the club and its upcoming activities you can contact Professor Sheehan, the Advisor for the ESports Club, at sheehanj@sunyulster.edu or Ryan Shepard, the ESports Club President, at shepardr57@my.sunyulster.edu .

Mindy Kole and Senator Sam

 

In addition, Adult Education has multiple web-based get-togethers. For more information about these online gatherings contact the Associate Dean of Adult Learning, Mindy Kole at kolem@sunyulster.edu .

 

Discover The World, Be Involved

koalasMissing nature, long walks, beaches, mountains, and amusement parks, and just, well, everything?
Well then, take a virtual trip to the zoo where you can visit the animals, learn everything about them, and enjoy watching them in their daily habits. There are quite a few places to go but my favorite is the Cincinnati Zoo. I use it every single day for homeschooling my grandson. It is a lot of fun and there is just so much to explore there.

grand canyon

 

How about hiking up a mountain. The beautiful views, the precarious climb to the summit, and the beautiful scenery. My personal favorite is rafting through the Grand Canyon. It feels like you’re actually there. If you have a virtual reality headset it’s even better! Either way, it’s a great time and there are hundreds to choose from.face mask

Feeling like you need to help out? Well, I found the easiest method for making masks on YouTube. They aren’t medical-grade but they’re great for everyday use. The best thing was that I had plenty of material to use. Didn’t we all clean out our closets over the last month? I know I did! Our first few tries didn’t go that well. But eventually, we got rolling and made 22 masks for our family and friends!

So There You Have It

The SUNY Ulster newsletter gets sent to every single SUNY Ulster student on Fridays. It is packed full of information and opportunities to interact with each other. Take a few minutes and check it out, you won’t be disappointed!

There is a whole world out there to be explored. There are groups, clubs, and activities to stay involved. So put down your remote and set the popcorn aside!

Search, Click, Discover!

 

 

Online Classes For All

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illustration of college grad with computers

At 44 years old, with minimal technological ability, I was going back to school after an 18 year hiatus. One of my first classes was an online class – Technical Writing and I was not confident. I would not only be expected to master the subject matter of the course but the online learning system, Blackboard. How does it work? Who would answer my questions?

Everything You Need To Succeed

I discovered I was unnecessarily worried. The first thing I did was open Blackboard on my SUNY Ulster Student Portal. I explored every clickable item so I knew where to find things. Thank goodness they have a Blackboard Tutorial! After completing the tutorial I felt much more confident about using the online tools available.

However, I still didn’t understand how it would all work. Enter my amazing professor, Kimberly Wozencraft. First, she reached out by email and explained in  detail how she ran her class. She explained her expectations,  assignment submissions, and discussion forums. She then outlined her calendar for the class which included readings, discussions, assignments, and due dates. Each assignment submission contained a detailed description of what was required for the assignment and how to submit it.

Supportive Faculty

Any time I had a question or was unsure how to manipulate any facet of Blackboard I simply sent Professor Wozencraft a message through Blackboard Messaging. She always responded quickly with a detailed explanation. One of the main technical issues I experienced was opening Blackboard in Internet Explorer. I had some problems with functionality. Professor Wozencraft informed me that Chrome would work better. I followed her advice and had no problems after that.

In addition, we used a Discussion Forum to share thoughts, ideas, and research topics and findings. It was very helpful because the whole class was giving each other feedback on assignments and participating in real world discussions.  Professor Wozencraft participated in our discussions and made her presence known in every aspect of the class.

I was amazed at the thoroughness of the lectures and the prompt grading of assignments. Each assignment was returned with a personal breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses, as well as a kind word on participation and progress.  I finished the class with an “A” and did not hesitate to register for another online class this semester. All of the staff and faculty at SUNY Ulster want us to succeed. Never hesitate to reach out!

Stay Focused

At the start of the class I realized I was new to time management. It was easy to forget to log into my class. When life is busy,  you have to stay focused and make time. Just as we get up each day and go to campus, we have to set aside time each day to do our online classes. I set aside a set time for each class and found a quiet nook to do the work. On the bright side, you can do it all in your pajamas at 2 am if that’s what will make you successful!

Stay Focused…

Stay Organized…

Stay Safe!!!

Ready, Set, Fashion! Calista’s Journey to Entrepreneurship

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A green sewing machine works on a blue cloth with a spool of red thread sitting next to a pair of scissors

Coauthored by Calista E.

A fair skinned woman with light colored hair, profile shot.
Calista Allen, SUNY Ulster Class of 2018

Another person has started here, to go far in the community with her newly learned skills. Calista chose SUNY Ulster over a well-known private college and says it was “it was one of the best decisions I have ever made” as she knew she wanted to be an involved part of a small business and remain local.

Calista has been designing and sewing for about ten years now. She credits her grandmother for teaching her garment creation basics before her time in college. Saying that her grandmother has been one of her biggest supporters and inspirations.

Most recently, she has turned her long time love of sewing and designing into a blossoming career. Thanks to the real world experience gained from her time in the fashion design program.

SUNY Ulster, Here to Help.

The fashion curriculum at SUNY Ulster has provided continuous opportunities that have shaped Calista’s life, livelihood, and career. The professors on campus encouraged and emboldened Calista to explore her talents and perfect her skills. She enhanced her design methods, portfolio building and interview skills to graduate at her highest potential as a result. Along with the well planned curriculum, the program offered Calista many internship opportunities that were vital to learn the industry first hand. Therefore she interned with brands you might know like: the Robert Tonner Doll Company, Eleven Six Knitwear, and Karina Dresses.

A sewing mannequin stands with a tape measure wrapped around it's top

Calista was proud to say that this school guided and molded her into a networking queen! To clarify she recalls one of the most impactful parts of her educational journey; that SUNY Ulster “provided endless opportunities to meet new people and interact with other local businesses and entrepreneurs in the fashion industry.”

A woman stands in a white dress with leather sleeve and belt accents
The Robin Dress ( made of chiffon with leather details).

After completing her internship with Karina Dresses, the company offered her a full time position. They realized the vigor and passion she had started to hone in on and wanted her skills to stay at their business. Calista has been working there for almost three years as the Social Media Manager and Junior Design Assistant for the brand located in Uptown Kingston. She continues gaining skill and experience while starting ventures of her own in the world of fashion.

Her design aesthetic is athletically inclined clothing with an elegant flair; a mix of sporty and sophistication. In her own words “I enjoy playing with style lines and geometric shapes to create a unique style.” She has used that as a base for a children’s clothing line, entirely of her own making, coming soon.

What’s Next for Calista?

Blue/White Gingham Dress
Cali Bee Kids Spring Line

Calista was happy to express how grateful she is for the fashion program at SUNY Ulster. The way it offered various tools and resources to kickstart her passion, and build strong relationships that continue to support and guide her future to this day. In addition, this driven young entrepreneur has started her own Spring kid’s clothing line. It’s called Cali Bee Kids and is set to launch this August! To check it out for yourself click here: http://bit.ly/CaliBeeKids

When asked what her best memory of her experience here was, she responded: “I don’t have a specific favorite part of earning my degree at SUNY Ulster, because I loved everything!”


Stories of SUNY Ulster — Marla Gruner: Family Woman, Educator, Library Scientist

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The Stories team recently got an opportunity to conduct an interview with SUNY Ulster’s own charismatic librarian: Marla Gruner. Invariably seated at the help desk, Marla is known for her pleasant helpfulness and the sagacity of her assistance. Entering her office, we are delighted to the smell of fresh coffee, photographs of her two adorable children, and a glowing presence ready to talk.

“I was an English major in college, and I realized there wasn’t a whole lot I could do with an English degree *Laughs*. So I thought, what are my options? I talked to my advisors and they were iffy about it, and I think I took a career quiz and found out that I could go on and get my masters in library science very easily, and I had also worked in a public library when I was in high school and I liked it! It’s not a thrilling story or anything, I was just fortunate enough to have a direct line to working in this field, sort of a straight path…Mostly it’s the people here that I like working with, there are a lot of energetic, fun people to work with. It’s a small community, and unfortunately a lot of people come here from disadvantaged circumstances, so I really enjoy being able to help them in any way; be it finding a book or navigating the site…I’m teaching at F.Y.E. this semester, so I feel like I’m really able to branch out, talk to people and meet more students — that’s one thing about the library is you don’t always necessarily get to know the students very well, you don’t see them as much as their professors might per se. I feel like this is a great opportunity to know more students better…So, yeah, I just really like the community college environment and feel, and with my job specifically, I’m able to do a lot of things in the library, whereas at a larger institution, there might be like ten librarians. So I get to do the job of ten *Smiles*, but in all seriousness it is wonderful and I enjoy it.”

Interesting Tidbit: When asked about the slow decline of the print book and nationally declining book circulation rates, Marla says she is not concerned. She envisions the library of the future as more of a meeting place and help center, as well as a massive digital database. Forever the optimist, Marla is as much a librarian as she is a friend to the campus at large. The next time you find yourself in the library, keep an eye out for Marla and her infectious smile!