‘I knew I needed to give back in return’

When the son of alumnus and Ulster County resident Thomas Tyrol '72 (Psychology) passed away in 2019, Tyrol felt the best way to honor Benjamin’s legacy was to support SUNY New Paltz’s Disability Resource Center (DRC). 

“This University is forever a part of my and my family’s legacy,” said Tyrol. “I knew I needed to give back in return.” 

He and his life partner, social worker Jill Dorsi, founded and endowed the Benjamin Dorsi Annual Scholarship last year, which serves current undergraduate students enrolled in the DRC who demonstrate financial need and whose experience at SUNY New Paltz will benefit from receiving a scholarship.  

“When I first learned about the DRC, I was enthralled by the space it gives students to connect, and not be defined by a label,” he said. “Anything I can do to support these students’ success in a space like this is worth it.” 

In its first round of applications, 32 students applied for funds, and two students were awarded scholarships that significantly helped support their education. 

One of those students is junior Kayleigh Crane '26 (Early Childhood Education: Art History), who plans to use the funds to help raise the profile of the Delta Alpha Pi (DAPI) Honor Society, which established its 100th chapter as a national honor society at SUNY New Paltz in 2015 and recognizes the academic achievements of students with disabilities.  

“Most students with disabilities are led away from the paths of advanced education,” said Crane. “My fellow students and I within the DAPI Honor’s Society are working to revise this common misconception, bias and attitude towards disabled students.” 

Support from the scholarship helps make this work possible. 

“The scholarship helps provide relief to students who, in addition to having barriers caused by their disability, face economic challenges to navigating their educational experience,” said Disability Resource Center Director Ashley Guerrero ’10 (Sociology) ’14g (School Counseling). “It also helps validate, for students, that others who don't even yet know them personally, recognize and support them as they pursue their goals here at SUNY New Paltz.” 

Since 2003, the DRC has provided a variety of resources for students living with a wide range of permanent or temporary disabilities, with services including everything from academic accommodations to assistive technology. 

It currently supports around 900 students, and while its services go a long way in supporting the DRC, its real impact is how it gives students a space to be themselves.   

“It’s something I know would have helped me were it on campus at the time,” said Tyrol. “I’m grateful that the next generation of students encountering challenges can have this open door to success.”  

With his pledge to support the DRC, Tyrol joins illustrious company. Myra Kressner ’76 (Secondary Education: English), a leading advocate for individuals living with autism spectrum disorder and an engaged alumna, worked with the University to establish the Kressner Autism Spectrum Program Fund, aimed at creating new pathways for students to enjoy success in their studies and in their professional lives. The fund was inspired by her own journey as a parent of a child with disabilities.  

The generosity of donors like Kressner, Tyrol and Dorsi has helped the DRC expand its services at a time when the cultural understanding and support of students with disabilities has increased both on campus and beyond.   

“I hope to continue supporting the DRC’s growth as a place where people encountering challenges can connect and thrive,” said Dorsi.  

Scholarship honors multi-generational legacy   

Both Tyrol and Dorsi understand firsthand how SUNY New Paltz can shape a student’s confidence. Dorsi’s youngest two sons, Josh Dorsi '11 '13g (Psychological Science) and Matt Dorsi-Todaro '12 (Communication), thrived as students even amidst academic and personal challenges, and went on to excel in careers in academia and tech, respectively.  

The scholarship is as much a tribute to the younger Dorsi sons as it is for Benjamin.  

Benjamin Dorsi was unable to pursue higher education due to the obstacles he encountered as an individual with autism spectrum disorder. Instead, he harnessed his passion for software development by working with SUNY New Paltz’s Department of Computer Science on a digital prototype for a cell phone application to notify students of a possible school shooter threat.  

The eldest Dorsi also created an MP3 player on his own in the early 2000s, when downloading music was starting to rise in popularity in American culture.  

“I know that were he to receive a college education, it would have changed his life,” said Jill Dorsi. “I like to think that this fund allows for him in spirit to have this experience through other students dealing with similar challenges.” 

At its core, the Benjamin Dorsi Scholarship will grow a community of students who benefit from the services provided by the Disability Resource Center. 

“The value of a college education is more about the relationships you make and your growth as a person,” said Dorsi-Todaro. “More students will be supported to this end through this scholarship, which will be incredibly meaningful.”  

For Tyrol, gift cements career of service

The scholarship is a full-circle moment for Tyrol, one that cements his legacy of service. When Tyrol first stepped into Awosting Hall in 1968 as he began his four-year New Paltz journey, he felt welcomed immediately. 

“The times I've seen him be the happiest is when he's offering somebody help, and when he feels like he is having a positive impact on somebody's life,” said Matt Dorsi-Todaro. “This scholarship made perfect sense to me.” 

As someone who has navigated the world with a stutter, being accepted by his peers from the start set the tone for what would become a monumental, life-changing experience.

“People would come up to me in the hallways and ask if I wanted to get a coffee,” he said. “It didn’t matter if I had a stutter.” 

From then on, his confidence grew, and following graduation, Tyrol served the greater Ulster County community in multiple ways: as a bus driver, mechanic and eventually wastewater operator for the Village of Saugerties. He retired in 2023 after working with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. 

His service not only extended to his professional life, but his life as a SUNY New Paltz alumnus. 

“New Paltz means everything to me,” he said. “I feel at peace knowing this is a part of both my legacy, and Benjamin’s.”