Michelle Cuozzo Borisenok '80: Living the Saint Rose values each day

One would be hard-pressed to think of someone who’s more of a living personification of Saint Rose values than Michelle Borisenok.

The entrepreneur and philanthropist is known throughout the Capital Region for her steadfast support of women’s leadership. Her mission is to help others by fostering independence and enhancing their quality of life through education, mentorship, women’s leadership, and the arts. And this mission shines clearly through each of her ventures.

A longtime trustee of Saint Rose, Borisenok and her husband, Walter, provided the support to create the Michelle Cuozzo Borisenok ’80 House, a living-and-learning building in the heart of campus that serves as the hub for the Women’s Leadership Institute and the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network Scholars. Hosting workshops, seminars, and other gatherings that draw thought leaders and visitors to discuss the future of women’s leadership, the Michelle Cuozzo Borisenok ’80 House required a major renovation to update the building with optimal offices, gathering spaces, conference room, and the residential area for the senior cohort of BOLD Scholars. In 2019, Borisenok was named an honorary member of the Women’s Leadership Institute Advisory Board.

Borisenok’s other recent ventures include Brown Road Racing LLC, combining her love of equestrianism and passion for advocating women’s leadership by bringing women and families together to learn about racing and share in the camaraderie of horse-ownership partnerships.

In addition, Borisenok is a corporate board member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization of St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties in Florida; a board member of the Alzheimer & Parkinson Association of Indian River County Inc. in Florida; board secretary of Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, New York; a member of the global Women Moving Millions organization; and holds the position of first vice-chair of the Saint Rose Board of Trustees.

“Walt and I are giving this gift to Saint Rose because we’d like to make an impact on students,” Borisenok said of her donation to the College for the Borisenok House. “With the mentoring of the institution, young ladies are able to follow their dreams.

“Saint Rose opened the door for me for an opportunity to build my confidence that I could be whatever I wanted to be. I hope for young women to build their confidence so they can go into the world and achieve whatever their dream or passion is.”