Some of the most meaningful messages I receive describe the transformative experiences students have at Saint Rose. That was the case with the recent email from Tracy and John Torda, who wanted to pass on news about their daughter, Ashley. After graduating from Saint Rose in May, Ashley became a head teacher in an autism classroom, a goal she has held since high school.

“They told us four years ago when we visited the campus that she would be known and called by her name, not a number; they were correct,” the Tordas wrote. “That personal touch made the difference for us. The bond she made with the education department/professors also made the difference. … In closing, our thanks for an experience like none other, including life lessons, friendships, mentoring, inclusion, volunteering, and the ultimate goal, a degree in childhood and special education. She earned the degree, but also took away so much more from her four years there!”

Helping students to make connections is an important part of what we do at Saint Rose. That brings me to a favorite event on my calendar: HOME.COMING & Family Weekend, when alumni, students, and their families gather together at a place they have called or currently call home. It also is an opportunity to celebrate Saint Rose, as we showcase our academic programs and outstanding recent graduates like Ashley; provide events for alumni to reconnect; and highlight our student groups. We cannot wait to celebrate together October 12 through 14.

Read more about HOME.COMING & Family Weekend, the latest news at the College, and our alumni accolades in our alumni newsletter stories for October 2018. As always, thank you for your support of Saint Rose.

Best wishes,

Dr. Carolyn J. Stefanco
President
The College of Saint Rose

The College of Saint Rose is excited to announce that President Carolyn J. Stefanco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration with the African Leadership Academy (ALA). Based in South Africa outside Johannesburg, ALA is a two-year pre-university leadership program that seeks to transform Africa by identifying, developing, and connecting the continent’s future leaders in ways that lead to social change.

In support of the global outreach efforts outlined in The College of Saint Rose’s 2020 Strategic Plan, this agreement will lead to cross-continent collaborations on leadership development programs, faculty exchange initiatives, and scholarship opportunities for students. Saint Rose has enrolled its first ALA graduate for the incoming Fall 2018 class, and another student will begin at the College in the Spring 2019 semester. It is anticipated that more students will apply and enroll at Saint Rose in the years ahead.

Read all about the new partnership here.

Last Spring, President Carolyn J. Stefanco was awarded a Helen Gurley Brown Genius Grant, and Saint Rose was invited to join the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network by the Pussycat Foundation, an organization founded by journalist Helen Gurley Brown and named after her favored term of endearment. The award includes more than $1 million in funding for a program that will benefit women student leaders at Saint Rose over the next few years.

The BOLD Women’s Leadership Network currently operates at six institutions of higher education: Saint Rose, Ithaca College, Middlebury College, Rutgers University—Newark, University of Connecticut, and Colby-Sawyer College. Each partner institution is led by a woman president who has demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout her career.

Read more here.

The College of Saint Rose, with a long track record of being named best among colleges in serving veterans, will dedicate its new residence hall specifically for student veterans on October 18 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The renovation of the residence hall, now known as the Veteran Residence, was possible thanks to the generosity of the Massry Family, which includes Saint Rose Board of Trustees Vice Chair I. Norman Massry and Trustee Julie Massry Knox G’04, and the support of Tri-City Rentals. Last year, the Massry Family also gave Saint Rose a $100,000 gift to support scholarships for veterans whose education at Saint Rose was not fully funded by their military benefits. Additional donors later matched their gift.

The Veteran Residence, a Victorian-style house at 971 Madison Avenue, has six large bedrooms and 2 ½ bathrooms, as well as a shared kitchen, living room, and laundry facilities.

Among the house’s residents is Jevon Schmitz, a 26-year-old, first-year student in the Huether School of Business, who served eight years in the U.S. Army as an airborne infantryman. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and 2014. Schmitz is currently in ROTC and plans to return to the military after graduating from Saint Rose. His goal is to be commissioned into the military intelligence field.

“(Choosing to live in the house) came down to my age and the new mentality I picked up when I was in the military,” Schmitz said. “I wasn’t fully adjusted – even though the Army gives you two weeks of adjustment training. I didn’t want to risk going into an environment with 17- and 18-year-olds and losing myself, if that makes sense.”

The dedication event will begin with a formal program in a tent on the campus green behind the Veteran Residence at 5:30 p.m. on October 18 and continue with the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the steps of the building, followed by tours of the space and a reception inside the Saint Rose Veteran Center, located next to the Veteran Residence.

Read more about it here.