Alumni

At sunrise, while most of the campus is still quiet, soft nickers echo through the SUNY Morrisville Equine Rehabilitation Center (ERC). Vegas and Jerry’s ears perk forward as they recognize the familiar sound of students’ voices and footsteps approaching the barn.   Jerry, a chestnut Quarter Horse, is always the first to greet them, letting out a cheerful whinny before standing patiently, ready for attention and his breakfast.

Are you a food entrepreneur in Madison or surrounding counties? SUNY Morrisville invites you to a free Foodpreneur Forum, Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at its brand new Shared-Use Kitchen, located at 102 Eaton St., Morrisville.   Participants can tour the new space, connect with fellow food creators and explore how to help shape the future of local food innovation. They can also learn about upcoming resources designed to support their food business. RSVP at: sharedkitchen@morrisville.edu. 

As the SUNY Morrisville campus prepares for an exciting new academic year, peer mentors in its Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) have been immersed in a week of team-building exercises and strategic planning as they welcome one of the largest incoming EOP Summer Academy cohorts in the college’s history.

Two years ago, Jennifer Gilbert Jenkins, associate professor of agricultural science at SUNY Morrisville, envisioned transforming an old apple orchard into a thriving food forest, a regenerative agricultural system that mirrors the structure of a natural forest. Her vision: a self-sustaining ecosystem filled with edible plants, supporting biodiversity and long-term sustainability.  

When SUNY Morrisville cross-country head coach Derek Powers approached Nikko Recchio about joining his program four years ago, the high school senior from Waterville, New York, saw himself as a very mediocre athlete who had fallen out of love with running.

Back in 2014, the SUNY Morrisville football team came together for an unprecedented season, as the Mustangs rewrote the record books, captured the attention of national audiences and left an undeniable mark on the program’s and college’s athletics history.  A decade later, the Mustangs were able to huddle up once again, this time to cement their legacy as one of SUNY Morrisville’s all-time greats with their induction into the Athletics Wall of Fame. 

Ask any automotive student at SUNY Morrisville about their most memorable experiences and they’ll likely point to the faculty at the heart of it all. “Their devotion to seeing us succeed is what I love so much about them,” said Dan Betsinger, an automotive technology - Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET) Program student from Cobleskill, New York.

If selflessness and giving turn coaches into champions, Jonathon Stockton is in a league of his own.  The 37-year-old SUNY Morrisville student and youth coach found his calling — a cause larger than life — helping others. “I live to enrich the lives of others because that nourishes my life,” Stockton said with a radiant smile.        It’s an impassioned career emboldened in his own experiences he openly shares about struggles with depression, addiction and homelessness — and unwavering support that helped him persevere.   

When Len Montreal ’83 and Regina Riccardi Montreal ’83 think back about their time at SUNY Morrisville, they fondly remember the friendly, supportive environment, the small-town atmosphere, the close-knit community and the access to nature and the outdoors. It’s easy for them to get sentimental and nostalgic. “I remember the smallness and the quaintness of the beautiful campus surrounded by scenery,’’ Regina said. “And, of course, it’s the place where I met the love of my life.’’ (And her future business partner.)