EDBLog – Westchester Community College Foundation

From the Desk of the Executive Director, Dolores Swirin-Yao

JUNE 2026

The Virginia Marx Children’s Center celebrated the graduation of WCC’s most adorable graduates, who are moving up to kindergarten.

The SUNY WCC Division of Workforce Development and Community Education (WDCE) held its Completion Ceremony in a packed Hankin Academic Arts Building auditorium. More than 1000 students in 45 programs ranging from 3D Animation to Go Native U Sustainable Gardening to Master Microsoft Excel to Phlebotomy earned their certificates this year. Student speaker Shenequah Dowdy in the JobSTAR Culinary Basics and ServSafe Certification Program gave an uplifting talk in which she shared that she is already employed in her field at Westchester Medical Center.

The Westchester Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) offers tuition-free academic and workforce prep programs for eligible adults, providing skills, support, and opportunities for success in college, careers, and beyond. Westchester EOC’s graduation ceremony celebrated students receiving awards, diplomas and certificates in a variety of subjects. Those graduating with their high-school equivalency awards who will be attending SUNY WCC received scholarships from the WCC Foundation.

Director of Alumni Engagement Michelle Schleibaum accepted the 2026 SUNY Council for University Advancement Excellence award for Excellence in Strategy in the category of Alumni Relations.

June 6 was proclaimed “Doug Mancinelli Day” in honor of the SUNY Westchester Community College alumnus and current Native Plant Center volunteer, recognizing his community and environmental service over the past 40 years.

Volunteers in many programs across campus were celebrated at the President’s Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. Certificates were presented to volunteers who had reached years-of-service milestones.

The Beacon Conference, which showcases student scholars at two-year colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region, was hosted online by SUNY WCC.

A session on the horror film delivered by Parker Madsen, SUNY WCC’s 2026 Salutatorian.

The business of cannabis starting in colonial days through the present.

This session asked the question, when there are invasive species threatening native species, how do we prioritize ethical management?

This session on social media for tweens was provided by Sarah Soumahoro, SUNY WCC recipient of the Nita and Stephen Lowey Scholarship.

Alfonso Marin on the importance of financial literacy for community college students, advocating for embedding financial literacy in core curriculum.

Dr. Carmen Martinez-Lopez, Dean of the SUNY WCC School of Business and Professional Careers, was named the Volunteer New York Leadership Westchester Alum of the Year at a ceremony on the WCC campus.

Through sponsorship by the New York Power Authority, selected WCC students participated in a free three-week drone training program presented by WhyMaker on campus that provided hands-on flight training, preparation for the certification exam to become an FAA certified drone pilot, and a take-home drone at the completion of the program.