From the Desk of Executive Director Dolores Swirin-Yao
May 2025
Three commencement ceremonies were held, attended by more than 600 students and many family members and friends. In conjunction with graduation, a very successful Golden Alumni Luncheon was held for those who graduated 50 years ago or more. Members of the Class of 1975 participated in the afternoon commencement ceremony wearing golden robes.
Golden Alumni Luncheon and Commencement
Other academic-year-end activities included the Academic Recognition Ceremony, where students are celebrated for their academic achievements and the WCC Foundation presents transfer scholarships to recipients of the Greta Cohan Personal Development Awards who overcame challenges to successfully complete their degrees at SUNY WCC; the Kathryn W. Davis Global Community Scholars’ presentation on their service projects; Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ students and allies; a celebration of the students who participated in the Money Smart financial wellness program; and the Nurse and Vet Tech Pinning Ceremonies.
Davis Scholars
Lavender Graduation
Money Smart Financial Wellness
Nurse and Vet Tech Pinning Ceremonies
We celebrated at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the impressive new state-of-the-art COMM Central Multimedia Center, where communications students will gain practical skills in television production, podcasting and other media content.
SUNY WCC’s activities in lifelong learning were recognized, spanning the gamut from our Virginia Marx Children’s Center, which provides early childhood education to the children of SUNY WCC students and others, to our work with adolescent girls in a STEAAM Summer Camp, all the way to our Collegium program offering a wide range of intellectually stimulating courses for seniors.
At the May meeting of the SUNY WCC Board of Trustees, gifts were presented by Chair LeRoy Mitchell and SUNY WCC President Belinda S. Miles on behalf of the WCC Foundation to three of our recent retirees with more than 20 years of service, Yolanda Howell, Professor Patricia Richards and Professor Elizabeth Gaffney
