Foundation Annual Report

Student Emergency Fund Update

Prioritized by SUNY Broome during the COVID-19 pandemic, over the years, the Student Emergency Fund (SEF) has helped many students in need with unexpected expenses that may impede their academic progress.

Early Childhood major Khadia Bradshaw says juggling full-time motherhood, full-time work, and school can be overwhelming. She shared, “There are times when I need to take time off to care for my son, and having this funding will help me manage my expenses, such as my high electricity bill. I am grateful for the support that SUNY Broome’s Foundation provides to students like me.” 

SEF Fund Growth & Grants Awarded

Through the generosity of individual and corporate donors, the SUNY Broome Foundation has raised $253,191 from 2018 to June 2024. Since 2021, with supplementary funding provided by the Foundation as needed, $324,118 has been awarded to 598 students.

In 2021, in the post-pandemic turmoil — with a 33% increase in students taking credit-bearing courses compared to the previous year — SUNY Broome gave out the most grants in a year to date — approximately $183,996. In recent years, the number of grants awarded has decreased from 2021’s higher-than-normal rate. This may be due to credit enrollment dropping by about 23% from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023 or possibly because other resources and options — such as SUNY Broome’s revitalization of the Hornet Hope Center and creating a designated homeless liaison position—became more available to students in need.

SEF Grant Eligibility & Uses

To be considered for a grant, a student must be enrolled in at least six semester hours and have a completed FAFSA form on record. Eligible students may apply for a grant of up to $500 per year.

Because the fund is to assist students in emergencies, particular needs are ineligible. SEF funds cannot be used for tuition, fees, school supplies and textbooks, regular monthly bills, or credit card debt. Students must have incurred the expenses in the current semester and document them well.

SEF grants help with medical and dental care, transportation, housing and utilities, and emergency expenses. In Fall 2023 – Spring 2024, the top requests were for housing, utilities, and transportation assistance. 34% of awarded grants were for housing, 27% for utility needs, 14% for transportation assistance, and 7% for medical expenses, with the remainder for other needs.

Students in Need

College staff refer students struggling to meet their basic needs to the Hornet Hope Center and other local resources. The demographic currently asking for the most help — 70% — is women. This is not surprising as women account for 57.2% of our student body¹, and approximately 52.06% of those in poverty in Broome County are female.² 

Moving forward, the SEF fund will continue to grow and help students with emergencies that may impede their dreams and future careers.

Documented data on poverty in Broome County shows that only 13% of people who have some college background live in poverty.² In general, locals with some college education earn 60% more annually than those with less than a 9th-grade education. They make about 19% more (or $6,492) annually than those who did not attend college after high school.² This is roughly in line with national averages showing that, when compared to high school graduates, those with an associate degree earn 18.42% more.³ Nationally, those with some college credits earn 8.13% more.³ 

While situations vary, higher education can begin the process of raising people out of poverty. With SUNY Broome’s open access, various academic supports and options such as the SEF, the Hornet Hope Center, and privately-supported scholarships and grants, the College is on the front lines to make a difference.

As student Khadia Bradshaw notes, “funding for the Student Emergency Grant Fund and the Hornet Hope Center is invaluable. These resources are crucial in helping students stay in school and succeed despite life’s challenges.”

Thanks to our donors, there is help to get SUNY Broome students through their varied troubles and move into a brighter tomorrow. SUNY Broome Foundation Executive Director Cathy Abashian Williams notes, “Through the SEF grants, donors step in between students and emergencies. This has had a tremendous life impact on Hornets experiencing difficult times.”

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Interested in partnering with the Foundation to support this vital resource for our students? You may donate online (please select Student Emergency Fund in the designation dropdown) or contact us at 607-778-5182 or foundation@sunybroome.edu.

Skating Into More Scholarships

Binghamton Pond Festivals’ proceeds support Human Services students

In 2020, long-time SUNY Broome Ice Center employee Tytus Haller (LAAA’ 06) approached Senior Director of Development & Alumni Relations Lisa Schappert with a proposal. As the Executive Director of Broome Winterworks — a non-profit that hosts local skating and winter activities, such as the Binghamton Pond Festival — Haller knew one of their goals was supporting mental health in the community. He believed this goal beautifully dovetailed into a SUNY Broome scholarship to help human services students.

As the Pond Festival Scholarship for Human Services glided into existence, it took on the following criteria. The award has been carved out for a continuing student enrolled in the human services program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and who has accomplished meaningful community service. With this assistance in affording their education, the scholarship recipients would graduate and launch into their community and careers helping others.

For three years, the scholarship assisted a single student. However, as time passed, the Binghamton Pond Festival adapted from a single winter weekend in 2016 to various events over a month-long period. In 2024, the festival had over 100 hockey teams participate in events for kids and adults, a 5k run, a visit from the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, fireworks, live music, and much more. The festival’s growth led to even greater generosity. 

For the last two years, Broome Winterworks has been able to award two students each with a $1,000 scholarship.

In 2024, single mother Tyler Palombo and Shannon Westbrook, who works full-time with people with intellectual disabilities, were selected as the scholarship recipients. Tyler noted in a thank you letter to her donors, “I went back to school to try and better the lives of my children and myself. I have worked in the human services field for over nine years and I am genuinely grateful to have been selected for this award.” Shannon told her donor, “Thank you so much for choosing me for this scholarship. Winning the scholarship helps take some financial pressure off me so I can focus on my daughter and schoolwork. I also can work less overtime to make ends meet.”

We are grateful to donors like Tytus and Broome Winterworks who have chosen to support SUNY Broome and make a significant difference in our student’s lives, while also giving back to their community in meaningful ways!

24 Hours of Giving:

Almost a Decade of Generosity

Giving Tuesday is when the Foundation sees the most radical and astonishing generosity. During 24 Hours of Giving, SUNY Broome’s supporters show their belief and commitment to the College through volunteering and financial support. There are an average of 370 donors each year.

Dec. 3, 2024, is 24 Hours of Giving’s 10th Anniversary! We hope you’ll join us online for new giving challenges, student stories, and plenty of college pride!

Donations Every Year

	Annual Number of Donors	Annual Amount Raised
2015	129	$59,321.12
2016	241	$81,260.72
2017	378	$75,830.00
2018	369	$78,550.77
2019	362	$85,227.77
2020	491	$186,603.42
2021	431	$257,424.93
2022	348	$285,530.78
2023	582	$249,897.00
Grand Totals	3331	$ 1,359,646.51

2024 Student Awards Recognition Reception:

Honoring loved ones & helping the next generation of Hornets

On May 8, 2024, at the SUNY Broome Ice Center, students wearing sticker name badges and holding programs listing over 350 scholarship recipients awaited their turn to meet — and be photographed with — the donors who helped them afford their college education. As students and donors finished shaking hands, the college president, staff, and faculty finalized preparations for the 2024 Student Awards Recognition Reception, set to unfold before an audience of over 500 people.

Continuing, graduating, and transferring students receive certificates and congratulations at the scholarship ceremony. Incoming students are recognized at their high school ceremonies. These scholarships award a range of amounts from $200 to the multi-year full-tuition coverage of the Presidential Honors Scholarship, with the average scholarship worth $500. The Foundation awarded over $1,600,000 in student support in 2023 and is on track to exceed that amount this year.

“There’s around 30 Calice scholarships now so that large legacy gift from Emil Calice remains transformational,” Amy Englehart, the SUNY Broome Foundation staff member who coordinates the scholarship application process and the recognition reception, admitted as she stood behind the name badge table. “And,” she remarked, “we are very fortunate that brand-new scholarships are established every year.”

Donors began five new scholarships in 2024.

The Otego Family Dental Scholarship, created for a full-time continuing dental hygiene student pursuing higher education later in life, was awarded for the first time. The recipient, Tara Sears, told her donors, “I am the oldest person in my program but my fellow students have embraced me and I enjoy being able to provide some insight from my variety of life experience. As a former restaurateur, I love cooking for people and providing a great dining experience, but I’m looking forward to starting a new career that is centered around helping people improve their health. Thank you again for helping make that possible for me!”

Nathaniel Allen and Joshua May receive their scholarship certificates.

Wayne C. Mitteer RN, MS Scholarship for the Advancement of Men in Nursing awarded two students, Nathaniel Allen and Joshua May. Wayne Mitteer (RN ’75) established the scholarship to aid continuing male nursing students.

Nathaniel told his donor his scholarship would “make this upcoming semester financially easier, and will allow me to focus on my education.” Joshua added, “The positive effect that scholarship opportunities like yours have on students like me is difficult to put into words, and saying “thank you” doesn’t seem enough.” Joshua plans to become a nurse — possibly in critical care settings — and intends to use the money he’s been awarded for required computer programs and textbooks in the nursing program.

Another new scholarship, the Aleen Ameen Memorial Award for Excellence in Nursing, began as a way to honor Aleen Ameen, who passed away in a motor vehicle accident on Jan. 16, 2024. The SUNY Broome nursing student tutored her peers in anatomy and physiology around her classwork and a part-time job on Binghamton General’s psych floor. Like many of the College’s generous donors, her family and friends rallied to bring good out of the tragedy and to keep her memory alive. The donors crafted the scholarship for a full-time continuing nursing major and set a preference for students interested in psychiatric nursing.

Danielle Tavares has the honor of being the scholarship’s first awardee. She thanked her donors and shared the inspiration behind her goal to be an intensive care unit or labor and delivery nurse. “My nephew was born at 26 weeks. During a scary and uncertain time, it was the incredible nurses who took care of him and gave my family much-needed support and compassion. He is a happy and healthy 2-year-old now, and…I can only hope to make such a difference in the world [as the nursing staff did], and that is what I am striving to achieve every day.”

Diann Benowski DiFrancesco (LA ‘85)’s family and Brooke Reynolds, scholarship recipient.

The Diann Benowski DiFrancesco Sunshine Scholarship was also created in honor of a loved one. Diann Benowski DiFrancesco (LA ‘85) was a passionate athlete who played volleyball and basketball at SUNY Broome and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Nursing Home Administration. The creators of the scholarship added the word “sunshine” to the title to remember how Diann always looked on the bright side of things, even on dark days, and how she lovingly cared for others. This scholarship is for health studies, nursing, human services, or sport studies majors, with a preference for first-generation students with plans to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The first recipients are Chantell Cornett and Brooke Reynolds. As a single mom, Chantell works full-time and attends college, and tries to set a good example for her three children. “Thank you so much for selecting me for this award,” she said to her donors, adding, “I work hard every day to show my children, and those who are coming up behind me, the importance of doing whatever it takes to succeed.” Brooke, who has been working in the Air National Guard as a dental assistant, graduated from the nursing program this May. She plans to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. She notes, “I am thankful for this award! I will be putting the money towards furthering my education.”

The daughters of Reeta Hayes established the Reeta Hayes Memorial Scholarship to honor their mother. They recall her lifelong passion for tennis and tenure as women’s tennis coach. The scholarship awardee may be in any major.

Sydney Velez Mattiace earned the scholarship this year. As Sydney prepares to transfer to Binghamton University, she says “the aid I am getting through scholarships is a huge comfort. [My donors] have given me an opportunity to further my education at a lesser cost and I am extremely appreciative.” She plans to become a mechanical engineering major at BU and “dreams of working in the clean energy field in an effort to help our planet.”

The College is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our Hornets. If you are interested in establishing a scholarship, contact the SUNY Broome Foundation. If you are a student looking for scholarship information, visit the scholarship website.

Record number of Peer Scholarship Winners in 2023-2024

Two Peer Scholarship Winners 2024 at the Student Awards Reception event

We are able to provide scholarships to students each year because of the hard work of the Student Philanthropy Council (SPC) members and Presidential Honors Scholarship (PHS) volunteers during the academic year. This year, they raised $1,573.38. Because the fund has been growing each year we were able to award a record five Student Giving Peer to Peer Scholarships!

The five 2024-2025 scholarship recipients were Channarong Campbell, Stephanie Dornblaser, Colby Graef, Matthew Larson, and Caitlin O’Reilly. Each scholarship provided $500 toward tuition, books, or other expenses for these Hornets. 

Channarong Campbell, who grew up in Thailand, lost his parents at a young age and worked hard at odd jobs to finish school. Now a SUNY Broome student, he says, “Thank you so much for providing a scholarship to help students. These funds are a great help to allow students to attend class, learn and improve their lives.”

Stephanie Dornblaser, a first-year nursing major, plans to choose pediatrics as her specialty after graduation. She notes, “I feel a passion like no other towards nursing, and I’m so honored to be able to touch the lives of others in ways both big and small.” She thanks the donors “for affording me the financial stability necessary for me to focus more of my attention on my schooling.”

Colby Graef told his donors, “This scholarship serves as a validation of my hard work and dedication, affirming that my efforts have not gone unnoticed. I am truly grateful for your kindness and support, and I am committed to making the most of this opportunity.”

Matthew Larson, who is pursuing his EMT certification and possibly a future career as a certified anesthesiologist assistant or a physician, wrote to his supporters, “The financial burden of pursuing my education and obtaining essential medical instruments has been a financial challenge for me. This scholarship not only relieves me of this burden but also enables me to access crucial tools that are indispensable in my journey toward studying and becoming a healthcare professional.”

Caitlin O’Reilly, a mom of two, keeps busy tutoring her peers at SUNY Broome and volunteering as a coach for young girls in the community. She says, “Nursing allows me to continue my passion of serving others and showing compassion through the care I provide to my future patients and coworkers. A sincere thank you for choosing me as a 2024 recipient of The SUNY Broome Student Giving Peer Scholarship.”

Volunteers running the Basket Raffle table at Alumni Reunion 2024

The student volunteers fundraised through bake sales, basket raffles, and fundraisers at local restaurants. “It probably doesn’t seem like a big deal that you came out to a bake sale and picked up goodies for you and your friends or gave a few dollars towards an opportunity to win a raffle-basket. However, the little things really do add up quickly. We have a great caring community that shows up for the efforts of our student volunteers and for the financial needs of students,” said Lisa Schappert, SUNY Broome Foundation Senior Director of Development & Alumni Relations.

Dr. Tony D. Hawkins accepted the proceeds in a ceremonial check during the graduation ceremony on May 23, 2024. The SPC hopes to be able to assist more of their fellow students in 2024-2025, depending on the amount raised in the next academic year.

SUNY Broome recognizes Frank G. Paul Medal of Excellence in Math and Science recipients

On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, high schoolers with exceptional abilities in math and science were awarded the prestigious Frank G. Paul Medal of Excellence in Math and Science. SUNY Broome President Dr. Tony D. Hawkins, Interim Dean of STEM Dr. Christine Martey-Ochola, and the daughter of Francis and Lillian Paul, Rebecca Komorowski (RN ‘76), hung the heavy gold-colored medals around the young students’ necks, handed out certificates and posed with the recipients for the photographer.

View photos of the award ceremony.

The top-scoring male and female students in math and science from area high schools — or “the best the region has to offer when it comes to math and science” — listened as Dr. Hawkins encouraged them to “become ambassadors and champions for science, technology, and critical thinking.” He added, “The astrophysicist Carl Sagan once observed, ‘We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.’ If we want to walk boldly into the future, this needs to change – and you are the ones who will change it.”

Following Dr. Hawkins’ remarks, Dr. Martey-Ochola spoke briefly, noting, “Since the inception of this program in 1999, the Foundation has awarded just over 750 medals to the area’s highest achieving high school seniors. This recognition helps to showcase the talent of our local students with exemplary math and science abilities.”

This year, 36 high school students were honored. The recognition includes a medal and a cash award for the top-scoring male and female students in math and science from area schools. Additionally, medal recipients planning to attend SUNY Broome are considered for the Francis and Lillian Paul Scholarship for SUNY Broome’s STEM majors. The merit scholarships are worth $1,000 per year at SUNY Broome, and recipients may also be eligible for a $1,000 transfer scholarship to complete their bachelor’s degree if the criteria are met. This year’s scholarship recipients are Grace Frost, Benjamin Jobmann, Jacob Quail, and Tyler Williams.

The program is made possible with generous financial support from Frank and Lillian Paul and their family. The Medal of Excellence’s namesake, Frank G. Paul, spent over four decades as an IBM engineer and believed in math, science, and education. He also served as a SUNY Broome trustee and president of the Foundation, which provides scholarships to many students.

During the ceremony, Rebecca Komorowski recalled her father’s intelligence and dedication to accessible education. “Dad really, really believed in higher education. He was a huge believer in education for anyone and everyone, even those without the ability to afford it,” she said.

Rebecca, who became a nurse instead of directly following her father’s footsteps, noted she has spoken at this event for 25 years. “So I’m going to borrow from a speech my daughter, a nursing major, put together. She found these points from a graduation speech from Oprah Winfrey.” Rebecca quickly outlined three points — Knowing who you are; You must find a way to serve; Always do the right thing. She added that she agreed with Winfrey that while the memory of famous people will eventually fade, “if you give great service to people, you will be remembered. I have found that to be true in my nursing career and volunteer work.” Finally, she asked the students to wear their medals during their high school commencement ceremonies. “Wear it for your graduation and be proud because… you have done excellently in math and science and you are proving what excellence is,” Rebecca encouraged with a big grin.

This year’s medal recipients, listed by high school, are:

• • Afton High School: Ryan Dawson & Rylee Noone
  • Binghamton High School: Jackson Nguyen & Hannah Vy
  • Chenango Forks High School: Michael Rullo & Gabriella Dietzman
  • Chenango Valley High School: James Stento & Grace Frost
  • Deposit High School: Abigail Russell
  • Greene High School: Austin deHaan & Tatianna Wells
  • Harpursville High School: Jacob Wolbert & Aliyah Campbell
  • Johnson City High School: Robert Kroplewski & Delaney Gaughan
  • Maine-Endwell High School: Salvatore Caforio & Madison Cartie
  • Newark Valley High School: Daniel Pirger & Mikayla Lawrence
  • Owego Free Academy: Chris Porter & Emma Hooker
  • Ross Corners Christian Academy: Matthew Outman
  • Seton Catholic Central: Brody Howard & Gabrielle Brocious
  • Susquehanna Valley High School: Zackary Merrin & Syria Frank
  • Tioga Central High School: Tyler Roe & Sadie Parker
  • Union-Endicott High School: Benjamin Jobmann & Serenity Pearson
  • Vestal High School: Tyler Williams & Michelle Secord
  • Whitney Point High School: Jacob Quail & Elizabeth Czebiniak
  • Windsor High School: Nicholas Pisano & Sophia Chen

Congratulations to all of our recipients!

If you would like to learn more about SUNY Broome scholarships or how to create a legacy of generosity to assist SUNY Broome students, please get in touch with the Foundation.

Peer Scholarships Doubled

During the last academic year, Student Philanthropy Council (SPC) members and Presidential Honors Scholarship (PHS) students raised a record amount of scholarship money for their peers.

With campus support, the council and volunteers raised $2,027.73 (double last year’s total) through the Student Giving Campaign. This was enough to fund four $500 scholarships. Staci Gregory, Yuliia Onikiienko, Waylon Partridge, and Tammy Poku were the recipients of the Student Giving Peer Scholarship this year.

The council and volunteers fundraised through bake sales, basket raffles, fundraisers at local restaurants, and a bingo event. “We are so grateful to everyone in our campus community that bought a donut, donated cookies, ordered a burger at a restaurant fundraiser, or participated in a drawing for a basket or prize. We couldn’t have done it without our students and friends on campus,” said SUNY Broome Foundation Alumni & Development Associate Jamie Manchester, the council’s advisor.

SPC member and PHS recipient Isabelle Dithrich presented the proceeds in a ceremonial check to Dr. Drumm at the graduation ceremony on May 18, 2023. The council hopes to earn a similar amount in the next academic year to assist another four students in 2024-2025.

Dedicating Edwin C. Daub Field

SUNY Broome renames Hornet Field in memory of a beloved professor emeritus & coach

On April 29, 2023, a crowd of alumni, college employees, current and past SUNY Broome baseball players, and friends of the Daub family, huddled beneath a tent pitched on the outskirts of the College’s baseball field. The blustery weather did not deter the group from gathering to rename and dedicate the Hornet Baseball Field in honor of Professor Emeritus and Coach Edwin C. Daub.

For Mini Daub, the chilly day conjured up many memories of sitting in countless baseball stands, covered in blankets to brace against the weather, to support her husband as he coached. (Sometimes being the only spectator in the stands.) The family recalled that his love for the sport was so strong that they often teased that his family took second place in his heart.

Reverend Joe Hein (LA ’76), who played on the 1976 baseball team, remembered Coach Daub as a master motivator who had an incredible knack for developing a student’s path in life.

During the ceremony, Director of Athletics Colleen Cashman (BA’ 85) read the SUNY Broome’s Board of Trustees’ resolution to rename the college’s baseball field to Edwin C. Daub Field. In the resolution, the trustees listed many reasons for the honor. Some reasons included: Daub’s 59-year long tenure, the exceptional quality of his instruction, his mentoring of less experienced faculty members, his NJCAA Region III baseball championships, his level-headed ability to problem solve, and his coaching of the college’s first tennis and varsity soccer teams in 1963.

Cashman also recounted that, “I was only able to interact with Ed a couple of times when I started [working] here…[but] I was able to see the love and passion he had for teaching here at the college, and how much it meant to him to be a part of developing a student’s path of life.” As a longtime Cincinnati Reds fan, she was also excited that Daub had scouted for the team. Cashman said, talking to him about the Reds “was definitely one of the coolest things about starting my job here.”

Stephanie Daub-Kuzio (CT’ 83) shared that her father would truly be honored by this dedication and would be humbled to know that his great spirit and passion for physical education and athletics at SUNY Broome were both noticed and appreciated.

Heather Hoffman, Assistant Professor and Chair of Physical Education and Sport Studies, spoke with an evident fondness for her older colleague, noting, “What stood out the most was his passion for teaching and coaching.” Telling a story of finding a handout titled “Thoughts for Your Journey” from one of Daub’s classes, she shared one that seems particularly relevant, “our true legacy will not be in your accomplishments or possessions but rather in the wisdom you share and pass on to others.”

The dedication ceremony wrapped with the Daub family viewing the newly updated scoreboard. The Daub family, who now live in Maine and New Mexico, also established a scholarship fund in his memory for students at SUNY Broome who intend to transfer to SUNY Cortland and pursue a career in teaching and physical education. Through these two efforts, the college hopes that the story of the dedicated long-term coach and professor will live on in the memory of our campus.

Celebrating Storytelling and Heritage

SUNY Broome and Universidad de Celaya students explore each other’s cultures to create storytelling exhibit

The Gallery @ SUNY Broome was overflowing with faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College on June 8, 2023, in honor of the debut of the Storytelling and Heritage exhibit, curated collaboratively by a group of anthropology students from SUNY Broome and the Universidad de Celaya, Mexico. The exhibit showcased a collection of photographs, interviews, and artistic pieces depicting Mexican and American cultures. The event resulted from the overwhelming success of Anthropology 288: Storytelling and Heritage, an invitation-only travel course designed to highlight the power of storytelling and its ability to bridge cultural gaps.

“A few of the SUNY Broome students who participated in the course had previously never left the country, so the impact of this type of international, experiential learning was even more significant. Courses like ANT 288 truly enrich our students’ lives,” said Professor Kathleen McKenna.

The course, taught by adjunct instructor Lynda A. Carroll, began with weekly Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) discussions via Zoom. While initially, the weekly Zoom classes were admittedly a bit awkward for students on both sides, the awkwardness dissolved the moment that they gathered collectively in Querétaro, Mexico, in March 2023. While in Mexico, SUNY Broome and Universidad de Celaya students spent their days immersed in Mexican culture through travel to historical and natural sites such as la Peña de Bernal and the Museo Regional de Querétaro. They also attended workshops, interviews, and cultural performances. The SUNY Broome cohort left Mexico with seven new, lifelong friends and the desire to return the hospitality by serving as the ultimate American ambassadors for their counterparts in June.

In America, the students explored Broome County’s cultural highlights, such as the carousels, the Discovery Center’s Story Garden, the Phelps and Kilmer Mansions, and an introduction to the delicacy of the “spiedie.” Then, the semester-long intercultural exchange culminated in the display in the gallery.

The program was primarily funded by outside sources such as 100,000 Strong in the Americas, the Mary Street Jenkins Foundation, and Universidad de Celaya. However, two SUNY Broome Foundation funds, designated to increase innovation among faculty members and enhance student academic opportunities, also assisted. These two funds, The Harold Sunshine Fund for Cross Disciplinary Collaboration — created in memory of Professor Emeritus Harold Sunshine — and the Dr. Richard and Ellen Romano International Education Endowment Fund, were established in honor of dedicated SUNY Broome employees. Read the longer version of this story in the Buzz.

2023 Student Awards Recognition Reception:

Celebrating students and donors and six new scholarships

On May 9, 2023, over 600 people gathered in a sea of folding chairs inside SUNY Broome’s Ice Center. Students, friends, family, scholarship donors, professors, and college employees attended the Student Awards Recognition Reception to recognize the academic efforts of scholarship winners and the philanthropy of the countless donors who make it all possible.

This year, over 420 scholarships were given to help incoming, continuing, graduating, and transferring students afford their college education. These scholarships award a range of amounts from $200 to the multi-year full-tuition coverage of the Presidential Honors Scholarship. The average scholarship is worth $500.

In 2023, the Foundation had six brand-new scholarships.

The Edwin C. Daub Memorial Scholarship was created by his family in memory of Professor Emeritus Daub, who dedicated 59 years to teaching and coaching at the college. This scholarship is for a student who will also transfer to SUNY Cortland and seems to be on a path similar to Professor Daub’s career, one of teaching or physical education. Nicholas Mugglin, this year’s scholarship winner, told his donors, “With help from my SUNY Broome professors, I have been able to volunteer for Intramural Sports, assist members in my community at the Lourdes Fitness Center, and kickstart my coaching career with the Chenango Forks Varsity Football team! Your generous donation for Coach Daub’s scholarship will allow me to be financially free enough to continue my path of volunteering and coaching into my years in Cortland! Go Hornets!”

The Nirchi family also started scholarships in memory of their loved ones: Rocco Nirchi, owner of the Nirchi’s Pizza franchises, and his sons Michael and Thomas.

Nirchi’s Pizza Memorial Scholarship for Paramedics recipient was Hannah Oleary. She thanked her donors, saying, “My end goal is to be a flight medic as well as a volunteer firefighter. This award gives me the motivation to not give up on what I have been dreaming of becoming.”

Nirchi’s Pizza Memorial Scholarship for a Culinary Student recipient, Kelsey Coe, said, “I appreciate your consideration for this award. It means a lot to me. I grew up with little money, so getting this opportunity even to be a candidate means a lot.”

The new Broome County Association of Towns & Villages Scholarship is designed for local students in the Criminal Justice or Homeland Security majors. When the scholarship was awarded, Mike Marinaccio, the Supervisor of the Town of Dickinson, spoke on behalf of the Broome County Association of Towns & Villages. “Domenico Emilio’s work and plans to become a NY State Trooper more than meets the criteria our Association has set to qualify for this scholarship. Congratulations Domenico and we wish you the very best success in all your future endeavors.”

The Christopher & Marjorie Keibel Memorial Scholarship, established by their family, focuses on helping a continuing nursing student who has worked or volunteered in hospice. Kendal Valenti, the scholarship winner, remarked, “Scholarships such as this one are important to me because they allow me to continue pursuing my academic and career goals without the added financial burden that often comes with higher education. After graduation, I am hoping to begin my career as a psychiatric nurse at Binghamton General Hospital.”

The final brand-new scholarship, given by the Sohn Family, is in memory of Young H. Sohn, who they remember as a “wonderful son, brother, husband, and father who left us all too soon.” Through her kindness and compassion during Young’s final hours, ICU nurse Ellen Paffie Gross (RN ’13) unintentionally inspired the family to donate to a SUNY Broome nursing student in honor of both Young and Ellen. The Young H. Sohn Memorial Scholarship assisted two students in 2023, Jenny Comency and Carly Forbes.

Jenny notes, “I work part-time at UHS Wilson Memorial Hospital and volunteer for Special Olympics weekly. This scholarship allows me to work fewer hours and focus on my studies and additional educational opportunities.” Carly told her donors, “I am deeply touched by your kindness. I became a mother at a young age, and I’m so excited to be able to set an example for him that hard work pays off. This scholarship allows me to work fewer hours so that I can focus on my education and my son.”

You can find more student stories on the 2023 Scholarship website, plus the entire list of recognized students. The college is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our Hornets.

If you are interested in establishing a scholarship, contact the SUNY Broome Foundation. If you are a student looking for scholarship information, visit the scholarship website.

2022 Annual Report Stories Archive

View the 2022 SUNY Broome Foundation Annual Report Stories Archive (PDF)

2021 Annual Report Stories Archive

View the 2021 SUNY Broome Foundation Annual Report Stories Archive (PDF)