a l farmingdale state college u alumni & foundation … · 2019. 4. 14. · michelle johnson....
TRANSCRIPT
When the State University of NY was founded 70 years ago, its motto was: Let each become all they are capable of. It spoke to the true mission of public higher education.
As the first public college on Long Island, Farmingdale has lived that motto and that mission for over 100 years.
There are countless people for whom Farmingdale State College was truly an engine of opportunity. As an institution, we have evolved through ten different name changes, and grown in ways that could not have been envisioned over 100 years ago.
The College is a far different and far better place than at the time of that first commencement. However, our foundational values endure: our commitment to creating opportunity by preparing students to meet the needs of our region remains at the core of all we do. Our focus on exceptional academic and applied learning opportunities, and on a broadly inclusive campus resonated in 1919 much as it does today.
In fact, the original graduating class may have been among our most remarkable in its diversity and inclusiveness.
That first class of fifteen students included a Mexican immigrant — Alphonso Tello who had just arrived in the US. One woman — Kathryn Freemen for whom our Phenomenal Womyn Awards are now named, as well as a deaf student, and eight first generation Americans from countries such as Italy, Russia, Germany, Bohemia, Denmark and Holland. Those early students were pioneers in applied learning: they maintained the campus farm, harvested the crops, tended the livestock and even built some of the college’s early structures.
I want to tell you this emphatically: there has never been a better time to be a Farmingdale State College student, and there has never been a stronger or more impressive class than the class of 2019. Let me tell you about our graduates and our student body.
• Over 250 of tonight’s graduates are the firstgeneration in their families to earn a college degree.
• Over 200 of our students are veterans of the USarmed forces.
• 500 Farmingdale State College students arepermanent legal residents from over 75 countries.Their families arrived here seeking opportunity, asdid those of our first graduates 100 years ago. Fromour very inception Farmingdale has been defined bywho we include; as we are today.
During your time here, your class, the class of 2019, and your fellow students have made remarkable achievements in academics and beyond:
• Over 275 of you have been inducted into HonorSocieties in your field of study and another 375earned Latin honors.
• Over 130 of you had papers, posters orpresentations accepted for the SURC (SUNYUndergraduate Research Conference).
• Dozens of you have engaged in research withfaculty members and even published your work.
• FSC students earned first place in the NYS BusinessPlan Regional Competition in 2017 and 1st prize in2019 at the state final in the Energy and Environmenttrack.
• Our students have been selected as top 25finalists in each of the past two years at the NationalEntrepreneurship Fest.
• Over the last three years, Dental Hygiene studentsserved 290 children through the “Give Kids a Smile”program.
• Nearly 100 professional pilot students havecompleted solo flights since 2015.
• For the past five years, Architecture andConstruction students have worked with the Town ofBrookhaven to create architectural drawings for agingstructures.
• In that same time, FSC athletic teams earned 20Skyline Conference championships.
• This year, 2,200 students completed credit-bearingapplied learning placements.
• Most importantly, nearly 95% of you will begainfully employed or in graduate programs withinthe next six months.
When I arrived at Farmingdale three years ago, I said I was Powered by Optimism … and now you know why.
Tonight, we honor the past while embracing the future. CLASS OF 2019 - YOU ARE THAT FUTURE!
F R I E N D S H I P 2Welcome Message from William Jimenez ‘10FSC Alumni Association President
Alumni HappeningsRamRun
Alumni in Saratoga GOLD Alumni
Alumni Benefits
S C H O L A R S H I P 3Creating a scholarship
Donor Spotlight Theresa Santmann ‘69 Gives Back
1912 society
Giving Tuesday
Alumni Pride
C O M M U N I T Y 4Corporate EngagementLearn about FSC’s Corporate Engagement Program
Save the DateUpcoming events
Wreaths Across America
Reconnect
I N T H I S I S S U E
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A P u b l i c at i o n o f t h e F a r m i n g d a l e S tat e C o l l e g e A L U M N I & F O U N D AT I O N
COMMENCEMENT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN NADER
O N T H E C O V E R 1President John Nader delivers a Centennial Commencement address to the Class of 2019.
Pictured above: Fireworks display at the Centennial Commencement.
President Nader addresses the Class of 2019
A Publication of the Farmingdale State College ALUMNI & FOUNDATION
Kas CareyDirector of Engagement Strategy
MaryEllen DeCiccoDirector of Corporate Engagement
Chantal EtrascoSecretary
Michelle JohnsonDirector of Alumni Engagement & Stewardship
Babette Kastens Manager of Scholarships & Donor Stewardship
Ann NossFoundation Accountant
Magdalena Sanchez OvertonDirector of Advancement Services
Joan UrbanowskiAsst. Director of Advancement Services
Regina Vazquez ‘76Asst. Director of Alumni Engagement
2 F S C A L U M N I R A M B L E R
FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTDear Alumni and Friends,
Farmingdale State College has provided excellence in education for over 100 years to more than 100,000 alumni.
The Alumni Association cultivates fellowship and loyalty among alumni, assists the college with its educational needs and provides benefits to students through continued alumni contact and regular events.
We welcome alumni participation from all classes and every program. We thank you for your generosity in the past and look forward to your future contributions.
Farmingdale is and always has been a place for friendship, scholarship, and community. Reconnect with your alma mater and share your good news! We would love to hear from you.
My best,
William Jimenez ’10 President, FSC Alumni [email protected]
FSC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Board of Directors
President, William Jimenez ’10Vice President, Susan Ring ’77
Secretary, Sylvia Nicosia ’04Ex-Officio, Joe Egan ’70
Officers
ALUMNI - FRIENDSHIP
Alumni in Saratoga
Alumni happenings
G.O.L.D. Alumni
Ram Run is a big success!
Director of Alumni Engagement, Michelle Johnson and Asst. Director of Alumni Engagement, Regina Vazquez ‘76, visited with retired biology/horticulture faculty member and alumnus Gary Brown ‘64 (Doc Brown, the bug man!) in Saratoga Springs.
Pictured L-R: Gary Brown ‘64, Regina Vazquez, Jean Brown, Michelle Johnson.
On April 14, 2019 more than 200 runners participated in the 100th Commencement 5K Ram Run. All proceeds benefited scholarships. For more information, sponsorship opportunities or to volunteer for the 2020 FSC Ram Run (to be held on April 5), please contact Michelle Johnson at 631-420-2369 or [email protected]
William Jimenez ’10, President of the Farmingdale State College Alumni Association, and several G.O.L.D. (Graduates of the Last Decade) Alumni enjoy an evening together at Destination Unknown Beer Company in Bayshore, NY on June 18. To get involved, contact William Jimenez at [email protected].
Alumni in photo L-R: Kevin Palacios ‘16, Jami-Lyn Butto ‘17, Stefani Angel ‘16, Jessie Vitrano ‘14, William Jimenez ’10, Samuel Feliz ‘16, Paul Keil, Julie Allegretti ’07, ’09, ‘10, Angela Allegretti, Jessica Feliz ‘13.
Julie Allegretti ’07, ’09, ’10Michael Cutino ’71James Durant ’68
Diane Ellis ’76Lane Ellis ’75
Jessica Feliz ’13Samuel Feliz ‘16
George Fernandez ’77John Guido ’86, ’10
Michael O’Rourke ’73Dan Sheehan ’77
Tell us about your career, your family, or share a story about the fun times you had at FSC. The next Alumni Rambler will feature an Alumni Classnotes Section and the only thing missing is your story. Email your updates, classnotes and photos to [email protected]. We look forward to sharing your story with the FSC community in the next Alumni Rambler due out in the Spring of 2020.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR
FROM YOU!
It’s been too long! We’d love to hear from you!
For a complete listing of upcoming Alumni Events, go to alumni.farmingdale.edu.
F A L L 2 0 1 9 3
SCHOLARSHIP - GIVING
Leaving a gift to FSC in your
will or trust, or another form
of planned gift can have a
lasting impact on students
at Farmingdale State College.
CREATING A SCHOLARSHIPCreating a scholarship fund is the best way to honor the past and invest in the future. Creating a legacy in your name or to honor a family member, colleague or friend is a wonderful way to support talented students at Farmingdale State College. An endowment may be created with an outright gift, a pledge over a few years, or with a gift from your estate or other charitable gift plan. A scholarship endowment can be established with a minimum gift of $25,000 and may be funded over a period of five years at $5,000 annually.
For information about how to create a scholarship, please contact the Farmingdale State College Alumni & Foundation office at (631) 420-2142.
ALUMNI PRIDE!
S O C I E T Y
S O C I E T Y
S O C I E T Y
Placed
Top 25%of public colleges& universitiesin US*
*Business First - 2017
Ranked a
Best ValueCollegein 2019*
*The Best Colleges 2018
Our Nursingprogram ranked
8th Best ValueRN program in New York.*
*Nursing Explorer – 2019
Our students graduate with the Lowest Debt in the SUNY system*
*LendEDU - 2018
25thSafest Campusin the US in 2016*
*universityprimetime.com
A planned, or deferred, gift — such as a bequest made through your will or a gift of life insurance — enables you to make a larger gift than you may have thought possible, while providing financial security for you and your family. We welcome the opportunity to work with you and your legal or financial counsel to develop a plan that will benefit you and FSC.
Donor spotlightTheresa Santmann ‘69 - Giving Back in a Big WayTheresa Santmann’s connection to Farmingdale is both long and deep. Student. Foundation board member. Philanthropist. And her passion for the College is exceeded only by her generosity.
“Farmingdale provided me with an excellent education and helped shape my success in the health care industry,” Santmann says. “I continue to be amazed at the transformation that has taken place over the last few years.”
Santmann received a nursing degree from Farmingdale in 1969, propelling her into the health care industry and, eventually, into her role as the founder and operator of a nursing home. She even invented and patented a walker with a folding, pivoting seat. She has been a member of the Farmingdale Foundation board since 2004 and funded scholarships for underrepresented students and nursing faculty, as well as landscaping projects, design projects, and a 9/11 memorial.
And in 2011, Santmann donated the largest gift in Farmingdale’s history—$1 million to support the nursing and bioscience programs and scholarships—and in turn was honored by the College with the naming of the Theresa Patnode Santmann School of Health Sciences. For her work at Farmingdale and in local communities, she has been honored as Alumna of the Year, a March of Dimes Woman of Distinction, and was an inductee into the Long Island Business News Hall of Fame.
Her extraordinary journey began as one of 12 children on an upstate New York farm. Her career as an entrepreneur after losing her husband to Lou Gehrig’s disease is beautifully chronicled in her autobiography In Gratitude to My Guardian Angel. The title is apt, especially because Santmann has been an angel for so many worthy causes.
“Theresa is a remarkable individual,” President Nader says. “She was a pioneer in the health care industry at a time when there were not a lot of women entrepreneurs. She loves Farmingdale, and her passion can be seen in so many of the students and projects she has supported.”
Article Credit: FSCNOW: The Magazine of Farmingdale State College http://fscnow.farmingdale.edu/2019/giving-back-in-a-big-way/
• Recruit employees • Start an Internship • MENTOR A STUDENT
• Join Advisory Councils• Meet faculty experts
• Request a Visit
Through strategic alliances with businesses and organizations, both large and small, Farmingdale State College invites corporate and community partners to engage with faculty and students across the campus. Whether you have interest in hiring talent, research, or a campus visit, the College will connect you to the right resources to address your company’s specific needs.
The College has a variety of programs, both degree and certificate, that offer your employees the skills
they need to make them competitive in this ever-changing environment. Whether it be entrepreneurship, technology, leadership or engineering, let us coordinate your interaction on campus. Let’s work together to build a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship. For more information, contact MaryEllen DeCicco at 631-420-2316 or [email protected].
COMMUNITY
4 F S C A L U M N I R A M B L E R
CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT
Opportunities
save the date
november 14, 2019President’s Gala
The President’s Gala invites corporate partners and friends to honor the best of the best at the Annual President’s Gala.
The 2019 President’s Gala will be on Thursday, November 14 at the Crest Hollow Country Club.
alumni.farmingdale.edu/gala
On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 12:00 PM, Farmingdale State College Alumni Association will be hosting a Volunteer Group for Wreaths Across America at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale to remember and honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.
save the date
december 14, 2019For more information on how to support Veteran’s Programs
at Farmingdale State College, please email [email protected] or call 631-420-2369.
Go to alumni.farmingdale.edu – Login and Reconnect. It’s That Easy!