Community

At 46 years old, Jeffrey Monette is proving that it’s never too late to follow your passion or to make a difference. The Oswego resident commutes an hour and 15 minutes each way to SUNY Morrisville several times a week. But for him, the long drive is a small price to pay for a future rooted in sustainability and a chance to make a meaningful impact on the world.

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.)

Adam Olinski is planting big ideas and harvesting abundant success. The SUNY Morrisville assistant professor of horticulture recently received the New York State Nursery and Landscape Association President’s Award, a top honor in his field. It recognizes three educators for outstanding work in advancing the Empire State’s green industry.  “I was really surprised,” he said in a recent interview, “and very honored.” 

When Shadow LaValley ’14 was competing in the 2023 Amateur Players Golf Tour, he proudly sported a SUNY Morrisville baseball cap. Working on his golf swing is still a work in progress, he said, but he finds it a good distraction from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles city life.

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.

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.

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. 

The Children’s Center at SUNY Morrisville has been providing high-quality childcare and peace of mind to the families of students, faculty, staff and the local community ever since it first opened its doors in 1994.  Fittingly, the Center’s location within the college’s Bailey Hall will now be dedicated to the visionaries who made it possible.

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.