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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 20, 2022 – Valhalla, New York

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

October 19, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

Honors College Class of 2024 Cohort:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Foundation awards over $2 million in scholarships to SUNY WCC students and provides more than $2 million in programmatic funding to SUNY WCC annually

The Westchester Community College Foundation has announced the addition of four new members to its Board. The Foundation, which has been supporting the college’s efforts to provide access to quality education and skills for success for over five decades, has named as new board members: David Berry, Wilson Kimball, Richard Martinelli and Linda Moser.

“Once again, the Foundation has added highly esteemed members to its Board, an affirmation of the Foundation’s importance and value to the College and the community,” said Board Chair Joanne Landau. “The Foundation played a critical role in the lives of so many SUNY WCC students during the pandemic, ensuring they had the support they needed to continue in their studies. With COVID-19 still impacting so many families, combined with new economic headwinds, the Foundation’s support will continue to be an invaluable resource for our students and our region’s residents.”

David Berry is an award-winning, multi-industry, transformational and innovative CIO/CTO who has dealt with emerging technologies and value-chain disruptions providing strategic direction and value-added execution at world-class organizations. Mr. Berry currently serves as Chief Information Officer of Boardriders, a global apparel company with operations in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. He was recipient of the prestigious CIO Top 100 Award (CIO Magazine) for delivering cutting-edge, innovative solutions to integrate a $1B acquisition. Mr. Berry, a veteran of the US Navy, earned his Associate’s Degree from Westchester Community College and his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems from Pace University.

Wilson Kimball is the President and CEO of The Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers, where she oversees the management of more than 1700 owned and/or operated affordable housing units as well as administering over 5000 Section 8 vouchers for the second largest public housing authority in the State of New York. Prior to MHACY, Ms. Kimball served as a Commissioner for the City of Yonkers, advancing economic opportunities for residents, business owners and developers of Yonkers through development under the direction of the Deputy Mayor and Mayor. Ms. Kimball earned her MBA in Finance from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business, her JD, Law and Doctor of Law – JD, Public Interest from Fordham University Law School, and her BA in Government from Skidmore College.

Richard Martinelli is President of Today Media Custom Communications, publisher of four monthly regional magazines and an array of custom and ancillary publications, including Westchester Home, 914INC, and Westchester Weddings. Prior to Today Media, Mr. Martinelli served on the Yonkers City Council for 10 years, including two as City Council President. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami.

Linda Moser has an extensive career as a publishing professional, most recently as the Publisher/Product Manager, Higher Ed for Pearson. Throughout her career she was responsible for the development and delivery of high-quality print and digital products for English Language Learners in the US and worldwide. She commissioned authors, led teams of editors, and collaborated with colleagues across departments and around the world. Other roles she held at Pearson include Product Owner of Wall Street English, Editorial Director of Primary, Director of Project Management and Director of Editorial Production. Ms. Moser earned her BA in Psychology at Case Western Reserve University.

Port Chester students are now eligible for automatic general admission to SUNY Westchester Community College, alleviating anxiety surrounding the college application process and putting graduating seniors on the fast track to a college degree.

June 13, 2022 – Port Chester, New York – SUNY Westchester and Port Chester Schools today announced a first-of-its-kind college admissions program for Westchester County. Starting with the class of 2022, Port Chester High School seniors may bypass the traditional application process for automatic admission to SUNY Westchester Community College. With student and parent consent, Port Chester High School transmits personal and academic information through secure electronic transfer to SUNY Westchester, which automatically admits eligible students who are completing high school diploma requirements. The new approach streamlines college entry by eliminating two critical barriers: the college application and the application fee.

“Our collaboration with Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez and High School Principal Luke Sotherden is re-inventing college admissions, streamlining processes, and promoting access and equity,” said SUNY Westchester Community College President Dr. Belinda S. Miles. “We are putting students first by making it even simpler, faster, and more affordable to access high quality academic and career pathways that lead to high-wage, high-demand jobs and transfer to universities. Especially during these challenging and uncertain times, we are intensifying our efforts to strengthen student support systems that address academic, economic, and other needs in fulfillment of our mission as an inclusive community college providing open access to opportunity.”

“Being able to partner with WCC on this has been super exciting and all of our juniors and other underclassmen should look at what automatic admission means,“ said Mr. Luke Sotherden, Principal of Port Chester High School. “This means that if you work hard in your studies, you too can automatically gain admission to WCC free of any barriers and take college courses that can better your life after high school. All of our Rams are capable of great things.”

“Reinventing the college admissions process has removed barriers to success for all Port Chester students,” said Dr. Aurelia Henriquez, Superintendent of Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District. “Inclusive excellence means that despite adversity, we are ensuring that all students have access and opportunities to all that life has to offer. We are so grateful to WCC for this new relationship. We look forward to building on this incredible opportunity to so that not only are all students accepted to college, but we also want to see them graduate from SUNY Westchester.”

Over the past three year, an average of nearly 60 Port Chester High School seniors chose to attend SUNY Westchester each year, making this a high-impact program for both partners. Port Chester seniors who opt-in to sharing information with SUNY Westchester will skip the admissions application process and receive an application fee waiver. The innovative program reduces anxiety around college admissions by transitioning students directly into SUNY Westchester’s Viking VIP program, which provides priority appointments with academic and financial aid counselors, preferred access to new student orientation services, and an exclusive invitation to SUNY WCC Commitment Day.

Port Chester seniors are offered automatic general admission to SUNY Westchester. Students seeking entry into special programs such as nursing or veterinary technology must still meet corresponding program admission requirements.

Port Chester Schools is a pioneer in the community college’s first automatic admissions program, which will be expanded to include additional districts in the future. For more information, contact the SUNY Westchester Community College Admissions Office at Admissions@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-6735.

$25,000 award at SUNY WCC will support students looking to develop skills for careers in advanced manufacturing.

Valhalla, NY (August 2, 2022) – SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) was selected from a competitive field of community colleges across the country to receive $25,000 to transform the future of students in the community, the third year in a row that SUNY WCC has been selected for this grant. These funds will be used to support students looking to enter or further their careers in Advanced Manufacturing. In its first two years at SUNY WCC, nearly 300 students benefitted from this scholarship, gaining the skills they need to attain high-demand, well-paying jobs.

The grant is funded by Metallica’s All Within My Hands (AWMH) and led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to provide direct support for career and technical education programs across the US. Direct impact on job and wage growth drives the Metallica Scholars Initiative. On average, students who complete the program see new job opportunities and increased salary potential up to three times higher than pre-program.

“I am thankful that I have had support from Metallica, my school and my community,” said Kwame White, Metallica Scholar and SUNY WCC alumnus. “This award helped change my life because it helped me pay for my bills and put food on the table until I began working. This award has given me hope that there are people that believe in me and want me to do good and spread it in return.”

SUNY WCC will focus its efforts on programs that provide students with the opportunity to develop the skills increasingly needed in the regional job market. Students will take coursework in machine learning, CNC, and other National Institute of Metallurgy (NIMS) certified competencies that lead to high-skill, high-wage career pathways in advanced manufacturing. No prior knowledge of manufacturing is necessary.
“SUNY WCC is proud of our on-going partnership with Metallica’s All Within My Hands to prepare our students for the in-demand careers that are amongst the drivers of our regional economy,” said Dr. Belinda Miles, President at SUNY Westchester Community College. “In the current economic climate in which demand for well-prepared employees is high and the cost of living is rising rapidly, this generous grant provides the opportunity that can make a real difference for families throughout our region.”

Having grown from a concept to a thriving educational strategy that focuses on enhancing skills while providing services to students looking to enter a traditional trade or other applied learning program, the Metallica Scholars Initiative has generated a proven and measurable impact since its establishment in 2019. AWMH will replicate the program further by adding ten more schools to the roster, investing $1.8 million to expand in year four.

“Our goal for the Metallica Scholars Initiative is to shine a light on workforce education and support the next generation of tradespeople,” said Pete Delgrosso, Executive Director, All Within My Hands. “With the addition of the 2022-2023 Metallica Scholars program, our grants will reach over 2,000 men and women in 32 community colleges across 27 states. We are honored to support these students of all ages and backgrounds and look forward to growing the program even farther in the future.”

“The Metallica Scholars program has proven to provide significant resources for community college students looking to learn the skills needed for today’s workforce,” said Walter G. Bumphus, AACC’s president and CEO. “We are honored to partner with the All Within My Hands Foundation to continue to expand this opportunity for community colleges and their students.”

To learn more about the Metallica Scholars Initiative at SUNY Westchester Community College, please visit www.sunywcc.edu/metallica

Valhalla, NY— Dylan Ortiz, a student at SUNY Westchester Community College, was recently named a 2022 Reporting Fellow by the Pulitzer Center. Projects by Reporting Fellows address some of the most critical, and underreported, stories in today’s world, spanning climate injustice, migration, and reproductive health.

Mr. Ortiz was honored for his project focusing on food insecurity in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. His reporting will look at food resiliency in the community in the form of pantries and markets, and also efforts to address root causes of food insecurity. While completing his studies at SUNY WCC, Mr. Ortiz was a junior video producer for Bantam Tools producing video storytelling content for promotional and educational use.

“Studying at SUNY WCC allowed me to enhance my academic strengths while also focusing on areas where I could improve,” said Dylan Ortiz. “My education at SUNY WCC prepared me to become a versatile custodian of knowledge who was able to take on the Pulitzer Fellowship.”

“At SUNY WCC, Dylan took Film courses such as Video Editing and Documentary which helped to prepare him to plan and produce the short documentary that he’s making for his summer Pulitzer Fellowship,” said R. Jenny Evans, Chair of SUNY WCC’s Film Department. “We are grateful for the recognition by the Pulitzer Center that journalism and film studies students at SUNY WCC receive a high-quality education, and they do so at a fraction of the cost of most other colleges and universities.”

Mr. Ortiz is the second SUNY WCC to be named a Reporting Fellow in the past two years. Kyle Cristello was named a Reporting Fellow in 2021, traveling to the Dominican Republic to tell the story of the death of his friend’s grandfather, creating a portrait of grief in the time of coronavirus.

For more information on SUNY Westchester Community College’s journalism program, please visit www.sunywcc.edu/journalism

SUNY Westchester Community College celebrated its 74th commencement last week on campus, the first in-person graduation since 2019.

While the in-person event was made possible due to reduced levels of COVID-19 infection from a year ago, safety protocols, including mandatory wearing of masks while indoors, were implemented to ensure the safety and well-being for all attendees. Further, commencement was divided by school into three different ceremonies in order to reduce attendee density in the Physical Education Building, where the ceremonies were held.

“This year’s commencement celebrated the tremendous achievements of our graduates who persevered through the worst days of the pandemic, as well as the dedicated efforts of our faculty and other employees to provide the support our students needed to reach this milestone,” said Dr. Miles. “This dedication, combined with innovative programs, has been a critical factor in the doubling of our graduation rate over the course of the past seven years.”

SUNY Westchester Community College President Belinda S. Miles and WCC Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Leroy Mitchell spoke at each of the three ceremonies. The featured speaker was Ms. Lisa Denig, president of the WCC Alumni Association and Counsel to the Chief Judge of the State of New York, Honorable Janet DiFiore. Among the graduates at the ceremony were the winners of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence, winner of a Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship and other honorees. Of the more than 1,600 graduates, many will be transferring to four-year institutions including Columbia, NYU, SUNY campuses and local colleges, while many others will be entering the workforce in such fields as cybersecurity, nursing, fashion design, and digital filmmaking.

SUNY Westchester Community College, in sharing compelling arts with the public, will present Angle/Edge/Plane, The Sculpture of Ronald Bladen.

August 26, 2022 – Valhalla, New York – SUNY Westchester Community College announced it will present Angle/Edge/Plane, The Sculpture of Ronald Bladen at its art gallery beginning September 8, 2022, with a public opening on September 8 from 4-6 pm. The exhibit, which runs through November 30, 2022, is open to the public.

Ronald Bladen (1918-1988) was an American painter and sculptor renowned for his large-scale sculptures. On exhibit are scale models of Bladen’s larger work, accompanied by hand-drafted engineering drawings. His artistic stance was influenced by European Constructivism, American Hard-Edge Painting, and sculptors such as Isamu Noguchi and David Smith. Bladen in turn had stimulating effect on a circle of younger artists including Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt and others, who repeatedly referred to him as one of the ‘father figures’ of Minimal Art.

“It is an honor to host an exhibit by such a world-renowned artist,” said Joseph Morris, Director of SUNY WCC’s Art Gallery. “The fact that he has been so influential on many of today’s younger artists is particularly resonant for a college’s gallery.”

For more information visit Art Opening: Angle / Edge / Plane, The Sculpture of Ronald Bladen – Westchester Community College (sunywcc.edu)