October 3, 2019
On Thursday, October 17, 2019, State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor Dr. Kristina M. Johnson will be hosting the first Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Honors Awards Ceremony at the SUNY Global Center in Manhattan. This inaugural event will honor students from 41 SUNY campuses across New York State, including Alisha Rivers, a radiologic technology major from Niagara County Community College (NCCC).
Alisha was chosen to receive the 2019 Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for EOP Student Excellence, which celebrates EOP students who have overcome significant obstacles in life to achieve their educational and personal goals. The award is named after the late Norman McConney, one of the architects of the statewide EOP program and a champion of youth empowerment.
A Lockport native, Alisha is a non-traditional student who works an overnight shift for Kaleida Health as a phlebotomist while attending classes at NCCC during the day in addition to raising a ten-year-old daughter. Her goal is to become a radiologic technician after graduation. In order to get the support she needs in this endeavor, Alisha participates in the Mapping Opportunities for Single Parents program, which is an initiative offering academic and career services to single parents enrolled at NCCC. This guidance, along with the tutoring services offered at the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) has helped Alisha in the pursuit of her degree. “ACE has been an amazing resource where I can get help with classes, and the professors at NCCC want to help you succeed,” says Alisha. When asked what the EOP Student Excellence Award meant to her, Alisha responded, “this allows me to show pride in my hard work and solidifies my commitment to my program.”
