10 stories from the campus community that gave us hope during COVID-19
What a year.
It was March 11, 2020, that Governor Cuomo first announced that all SUNY campuses would move to maximize remote learning for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.
Our community has come a long way since those uncertain early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve learned about how to protect ourselves and one another; we’ve worked together to overcome challenges and support each other through hardship; and we’ve sacrificed and succeeded in ways that may have seemed unimaginable on the day of the Governor’s announcement.
Through it all, the unique strengths of the SUNY New Paltz community have been on full display.
In this post, we selected stories that showcase those strengths: The resilience of students adapting to new ways of living and learning; the selflessness of faculty and staff lending their expertise to the response, even as they juggled new responsibilities at home and work; the generosity of alumni supporting students in crisis; and the collaboration with our partners in the village and town that has helped keep coronavirus spread low, on and off-campus.
But there are encouraging signs that brighter days are ahead: Steadily increasing vaccine supplies, infection rates declining from their mid-winter highs, and a general sense of optimism that comes with warmer weather and longer days. We also know that we are not yet in the clear, and that we need to remain vigilant in the present even as we look forward to a better future.
We hope the stories we gathered provide feelings of pride in our accomplishments, comfort in our perseverance, and hope for our shared health and happiness to come.
Women’s Leadership Summit celebrates seventh year
Since 2015, more than 100 SUNY New Paltz alumnae and thought leaders have offered first-hand advice to help students accelerate toward their professional goals at the College’s Women’s Leadership Summit.
Hosted by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations and sponsored by the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, the Summit features several small conversation groups between alumnae experts and current New Paltz students. These meetings provide students with invaluable practical advice on how to ensure a successful transition from college to career, how to stand out in a competitive job market, and how to balance work and life demands.
This year, the virtual Women’s Leadership Summit was held on March 3, 2021. More than two dozen successful women representing a variety of professions generously shared their time and expertise with current students in this, the Summit’s seventh year.
Alumni Interview Series launches with one-on-one conversations about finding success after graduation
A new series developed by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations seeks to share inspiring alumni stories with the greater campus community.
Hosted by Dynahlee Padilla ’19 (Journalism) the series is currently focused on entrepreneurship opportunities and experiences among recent alumni. It will soon explore other professions, experiences and opportunities that exist for the greater alumni community.
“We are always looking to create opportunities for our alumni to connect,” said assistant director for alumni relations Elizabeth Diuguid. “This series allows them to share their stories in their own way while making connections with alumni hosts and campus viewers online. We share in their success and are extremely excited to hear the various ways that SUNY New Paltz shaped their lives.”
The series is published monthly on Facebook, YouTube and the College’s website at www.newpaltz.edu/ alumni/interview-series/. Learn more in the monthly alumni newsletter, Connect.
