Spring 2010 - Rockland Community College

For Friends and Alumni of
Rockland Community College
Spring 2010
Record Crowd at Foundation’s 10 th Annual Luncheon
Yields 34% increase in
scholarship funds
Maybe it was the promise of “Rockland’s biggest
birthday cake” that drew a record crowd of 470
to celebrate the College’s 50th Anniversary at the
RCC Foundation Luncheon. Even bigger than the
cake was the nearly $35,000 raised for student
scholarships, a 34% increase over funds raised at
last year’s luncheon.
The March 19 event at the Hilton Pearl River featured
student entertainment, songs by alumni and
a student Marilyn Monroe impersonator popping
out of the giant birthday cake to sing “Happy
Birthday, Mr. President” to College President, Dr.
Cliff L. Wood.
[for more coverage of the event, see p.4]
Student Maria Di Cara, portraying Marilyn Monroe, jumps out of “Rockland’s Biggest Birthday Cake” at the
RCC Foundation Birthday Bash celebrating the College’s 50th Anniversary. With her are faculty and fellow
student and alumni performers, (l to r): Patty Maloney-Titland, Chair/Professor, Performing Arts; Andrew
Marcinak, Lize Meisenzahl ’09; Patrick Birmingham ‘01; Christopher Plummer, adjunct faculty, Performing
Arts; Ashley Scales ’09; Gianna Accattato and Ori Bensimhon.
New Peer Mentoring Program Helps Students Succeed
Students learn from each other in the newly launched
Peer Mentoring Program. The program helps mentees
(students being mentored) feel more connected
to the College and is expected to ultimately aid in
their retention. It also provides a valuable learning
opportunity for the mentors.
International student Paola García Cárdenas of
Costa Rica, a SUNY Chancellor’s Award winner, is
thrilled to have the chance to mentor other students.
“I am so grateful to the College for the quality of
education I’ve received here that I wanted to give
back. Transitioning to college is challenging, and reinforcing
mentees’ strengths helps them have a good
college experience. Developing a relationship with
and setting goals for the mentees, and then seeing
them reach those goals, gives us, as mentors, great
satisfaction.”
Barbara Benitez and Jamila Grampus, student
mentors, compare notes.
continued on p. 2
Inside
Then & Now ..........2
Campaign
Contributions.........3
Birthday Bash ........4
Earthquake
Rescuer ..................5
New Degrees .........5
Alumni News .... 6-7
Student Awards ......8
HS Dropout
Heads to
Columbia ...............9
Heritage
Celebrations ........10
Appointments
& Awards .............11
Alumni
Reunion ...............12

Now and Then
Spring on campus, now and then:
there’s nothing new under the sun!
SCENE is published by
the Rockland Community
College Foundation
Don Cairns, Executive Director
and
Campus Communications
Editor: Tzipora Reitman,
Director of Communications
zreitman@sunyrockland.edu
Staff Writer: Lisa Saunders
Photography: Collette Fournier
Design: Ginny Apostolides
We invite your comments!
Rockland Community College
145 College Road
Suffern, NY 10901
(845) 574-4595
www.sunyrockland.edu
2009
circa 1970
50th Anniversary Events: www.sunyrockland.edu/go/50
Mentoring Program from page 1
Mentors meet with a group of 40 educationally
disadvantaged students who are part of three
“learning communities,” each of which consists
of a group of students who are all enrolled
in the same three sections of core courses.
There are currently eight peer mentors, seven
paid and one volunteer. The mentors are paid
$10/hour and work approximately five hours
a week. They are required to meet personally
with their mentees twice a month and to
maintain weekly contact through e-mail, text
or phone.
Mentors also create and present workshops in
areas such as time-management, study skills
and essay writing. The mentors formed a Peer
Mentoring Club, where they share ideas with
each other and with other students considering
becoming mentors.
Dear Editor,
My good friend and former colleague, Florence Mason,
sent me a copy of the first page of SCENE, Fall 2009 – FIF-
TY YEARS!! How well I remember 1959 starting out from
“scratch” – we used backs of cardboard boxes for blackboards
and former patient rooms on the top floor [of Brucker Hall]
were still furnished! In fact, I still have a walnut washstand
(painted white on the outside and blue inside) from one of the
rooms. I removed the white paint!
Those were the days – coupled with excitement, fun and
frustrations. How well I remember when Joan Silberman
enrolled as a student and Dan Masterson signed on to teach
English!
I can’t believe RCC is celebrating its 50th anniversary
and I am celebrating my 90th!! The years may be piling up
but the memories remain fresh. I put in three days a week at
the local historical society as volunteer archivist and come
2010 start my 32nd year with Meals on Wheels…
Some of the happiest and rewarding years of my life were
at RCC and I predict the next 50 years will bring even greater
growth, but may it always remain a community college.
Cordially,
Jane Freeman
Sun City, Arizona
2
[Ed. Note: Dr. Freeman served as the College’s first Director of Student
Personnel when the College opened in 1959.]
Mentors are recommended by faculty and go
through a rigorous application process and if
selected, a five-hour training course. At the end
of their training, the mentors were rewarded
with lunch with National Basketball Association
legend Ron Harper, who told the students
how coaching on the court and mentoring
in the dorm helped him as a player and as a
student.
Kathy Carroll, Professor/Counselor, and Joe
Falco, adjunct faculty, Psychology, researched
and designed the mentoring project as an integral
part of the Learning Communities Pilot
Program, and meet weekly with the mentors.
Dr. Cliff L. Wood, College President, said,
“Mentoring, including peer mentoring, can
dramatically help students be more successful
and achieve more.”

Annual Campaign Report
Professor Sam Draper
PRESiDEnt’S CiRCLE
($5,000+)
Dr. Sonya Shapiro
AmbASSADoRS
($1,000-4,999)
Donald Cairns
Dennis Callinan
Dr. Arlene Clinkscale
Dennis Dale
John & Marie DeCicco
Dan & Michelle Keeley
Brian Merritt
Mort & Zara Meyers
Randall & Martha Rottman
Nahed Salama
Elissa Silverstein
Alden Wolfe
Dr. Cliff & Wylene Wood
LEADERS ($500-999)
Mara Lee Bierman
Mary Lou Dillon
Jerry & MariEllyn Donnellan
Joseph & Judy Famellette
Larry Ferrier
Rena Finkelstein
Karen Gualtieri
Mitchell Gusler
Dr. Lynn W. Lindeman
Tzipora Reitman
MAjoR GiFts
Professor Sam Draper, who passed away on October 22,
2009 at the age of 84, generously bequeathed $352,000 to
the Rockland Community College Foundation to perpetuate
his love for the College and his dedication to student
success. His gift will enable future students to pursue their
educational dreams and aspirations.
Herb and Edythe Kurz
In December 2009, the Kurz Family Foundation donated
40,000 shares of stock in Presidential Life Corp, currently
valued at $400,000, to the Rockland Community College
Foundation, earmarked for student support services. This
generous gift will provide financial assistance to students
who would otherwise not have the opportunity to pursue
higher education.
ContRibutoRs
They’re On Board! And there’s plenty of room for more! Join us!
Thus far, the following employees, trustees, alumni and friends of the College have generously stepped up to participate
in our first Annual Campaign, 2009-10.
tHAnK you to ALL ouR DonoRS FoR mAKinG A DiFFEREnCE!
Jim & Stephanie Tarpey
Martin Wortendyke
PARtnERS ($100-499)
Anonymous
Peter Arvanites
Brian Cameron
Ron & Patti Castro
David & Christie Cohen
Brian & Josephine Coleman
Barry & Karen Driks
Beatrice Goldberg
Sheila Goldstein
Aidan Hand
Alden Hansell
Emily Harvey
Howard Hellman
Dr. Eugene Henderson Jr.
Charles and Beverly Jackson
Yves Jean-Baptiste
Carol Kaplan Newmark
Jerome & Anita Kobre
Cally B. Kostakis
Ivy Kramer
Hannah Lowney
Aino Lukas
Patty Maloney-Titland
Michael McKiever
Dr. Laurie Miller McNeill
Pat Monico-Sullivan
Lillian Newmark
3
Harold Peterson
Bonnie Rosen
Vincent & Beth Rutigliano
James & Lisa Saunders
Lisa Schachter
Dr. Robert & Carol Schelin
Dan & Lorraine Sorrentino
Brian Sullivan
Richard Syrek
Pasquale & Josephine Tarsia
Deborah Vinecour
Richard Voigt
ASSoCiAtES ($51-99)
Howard Heffler
David Peterson
AnnivERSARy SoCiEty
($50)
Debra Balestra
M.A. Becraft
Maureen Brown
Mary Lou Buzzetti
Florence Conrad
Fred & Patsy Duncan
Anne Dwyer
Colin Faulds III
Pamela Gerstheimer
Anthony Gualtieri
Lisa Jacobson
Reamy Jansen
Herb & Edythe Kurz
Kerrin Mahaffey
Jonathan Mase
Marion McCarthy
Jon & Sheila Miller
Onnolee Mosher
Caroline Osinga
Eileen Rosen
Melissa Roy
Doug Schmidt
Louise Schreier
Ralph & Arlene Yaccino
Lin Young
Marge Zemek
FRiEnDS ($1-49)
Tasnim Asad
Jon Jon F. Chua
Peter Corrado
Bernadette Dizzine
Susan Fella
Collette Fournier
Joyce Goodwin
Theresa Golz
Karen Hoffer
Robert Kowles
Frederick & Helen Linehan
Margaret Mora
Monami Seki
Susan Solomon
Hillary Stauber Wenk

Foundation News
Walter Fiedler
Foundation Board Welcomes
Walter C. Fiedler
Walter C. Fiedler, a retired 30-year New York
City educator, has joined the Rockland Community
College Foundation Board.
Fiedler, a former Performing Arts adjunct faculty
member at the College, also taught Performing
Arts to senior citizens through RCC’s Center for
Personal & Professional Development. He still
performs at the College with RCC’s Rockland
Shakespeare Company.
Active in community service, Fiedler said, “I
appreciate the College and its role in providing
young people a chance to enrich their lives and
contribute to the community.”
Alumni at birthday bash Luncheon sing,
“RCC is A student’s best FRiend!”
Sung to the tune of, “Diamonds are a
Girl’s best Friend,” with the help of selected
alumni!
Some colleges are far away, which some
think is really cool,
But I believe in RCC which thrives on its
home rule!
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental,
But RCC is a student’s best friend!
The Ivy League may be grand
But you’ll need much more than a helping
hand
If a degree you’re going to need
As we grow old, we must be bold and we’ll
have that degree in the end
So square shaped, this degree, it will surely
rate
Hon. Vincent Alfieri
Legislator Ilan Schoenberger is
followed by Frances Pratt.
RCC is a student’s best friend!
The college is here, professors are dear
And RCC’s just as it appears
And its value will never end
So stand up and speak out and for RCC all
shout
Rockland is a student’s best friend!
Howard Hellman ’72, Chairman, All Bright
Electric and Hellman Management; President,
RCC Alumni Association: “RCC taught
me how to light up your life.”
ileana Eckert, Superintendent, North
Rockland School District: “RCC taught me
to educate your children.”
James Kralik ’70, Rockland County Sheriff
since 1992: “RCC taught me how to shoot
straight.”
Howard Hellman, Alumni Chair,
recites his lines as Dr. Ileana Eckert,
Superintendent of North Rockland
Schools and Sheriff James Kralik wait
in line.
4
An actor, Fiedler is a member of Elmwood
Playhouse, Antrim Playhouse and Music Makers,
a group sponsored by RCC’s Retired and Senior
Volunteer Program (RSVP).
Fiedler, a New City resident, is first vicepresident
of the RCC Senior Club, a member of
the Nanuet Senior Club and former captain of
the Nanuet Community Ambulance, where he
founded the Nanuet Ambulance Youth Corps and
was named Corps Person of the Year.
Hon. ilan S. Schoenberger ’67 of the private
law practice, Schoenberger & Schoenberger;
and Rockland County Legislature,
where he previously served as Chair: “RCC
taught me to lead our community.”
Frances Pratt ‘73, President of the Nyack
branch of NAACP and Manager of Employee
Health Services, Nyack Hospital: “RCC
taught me the importance of a healthy body
and a healthy soul.”
Hon. victor Alfieri Jr. ’72, Rockland
County Court Judge: “RCC said, ‘Here
comes the judge!’”
Dr. Kenneth K. Hansraj, orthopedic surgeon
at the Special Spine Institute: “RCC
paved my way to medical school.”
Regina DeCicco ’98, Screenwriter: “RCC
taught me laughter is the best medicine.”
Regina DeCicco ‘98
Dr. Kenneth Hansraj ‘80

Learning Opportunities
College Community Rallies for Haiti,
Haitian nursing student treats Wounded
President Cliff L. Wood pins a 50th
anniversary pin on the lapel of Dr. Jean
Francois, Haitian Studies Scholar, at his
welcoming reception
Following the
January 12 earthquake
that devastated
Haiti, the College
community gathered
to pray for Haiti and
the survivors and
sponsored collections
of medical supplies
and water.
The College has
many students of
Haitian descent, including
five international
students studying
on a student visa.
One of these, 24-year-old nursing student Mixon Brown, was home
in Haiti on winter break at the time of the earthquake. He witnessed
Computer Networking Program
Changed to
Cyber Security Program
Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)
now available in Cyber Security
Beginning Fall 2010, the College will offer an associate’s degree in
Cyber Security, a program certified by the Committee on National
Security Systems and the National Security Agency.
Cyber Security is involved with operations that protect and defend
information and information systems by ensuring their availability,
integrity, authentication, confidentiality and nonrepudiation. These
skills are applicable to national security and day-to-day business
operations.
SUNY Rockland is the only community college in the state to
receive the stamp of approval for its Cyber Security courses from the
Committee on National Security Systems.
For more information, contact Jeanette Geller, Chair and Associate
Professor, Cyber Security, at 845-574-4577,
jgeller@sunyrockland.edu.
Associate’s Degree in
Speech/Communication Studies
Now Offered
Beginning in Fall 2010, SUNY Rockland will offer an Associate in
Arts degree in Speech/Communication Studies, which can ultimately
lead to careers in speech and language therapy, speech communication
education, law, business, or journalism.
5
firsthand the suffering of the survivors
when he helped doctors at
the Cite Lumiere Mission treat
the wounded, including newly
orphaned children. Although his
parents and four brothers and
two sisters survived, their recovery
will be a long one.
Brown said, “Now my parents
are housing 17 people, seven of
whom we’ve never met before,
including three orphans.”
As a result of the earthquake,
the number of Haitians enrolled
at RCC on international student
visas is likely to increase,
especially as many family members here in the US are trying to get
young people out of Haiti.
The Speech/Communication Studies program combines liberal arts
introductory courses in Science, Psychology, Math and English with
a concentration in one of four categories: Speech and Language
Therapy, Speech Performance, Journalism, or Rhetoric/Communication
Theory.
The program is geared toward students transferring to four-year colleges.
Scholarships to continue studies in Speech/Communication
Studies are available to students who excel at RCC.
For more information about the Speech/Communication Studies
program, contact Wilma Frank, Chair/Professor, Speech Department
at wfrank@sunyrockland.edu or 845-574-4345.
College Signs Transfer Agreement
with Chamberlain College
of Nursing
RCC Nursing graduates can earn
a BS in Nursing online
Haitian international nursing
student, Mixon Brown, returns
to campus after treating people
wounded in the earthquake during
his visit home on winter break.
The College and Chamberlain College of Nursing have signed an
articulation agreement that allows students who graduate from Rockland
with an associate’s degree in Nursing to complete a Bachelor
of Science degree online in Nursing from Chamberlain College of
Nursing.
Graduates and employees of RCC who enroll in and attend the
Chamberlain RN or BSN online program will be charged tuition at
90% of the then-prevailing tuition rate applicable to the RN to BSN
online programs. Transferring students will begin at Chamberlain
College of Nursing with junior status. Chamberlain requires that a
minimum of 32 hours of required course credit hours in the baccalaureate
curriculum be completed at Chamberlain in order to graduate.

Alumni Spotlight
The following inductees were
honored at the Italian American
Social Club on January
23:
Joe Famellette, Professor of
Physical Education and former
coach, was the first coach
inducted into the RCC Hall
of Fame. From 1960-1982,
Famellette coached various
sports including soccer, wrestling,
bowling, golf, tennis,
and women’s basketball. He
coached the Men’s Tennis
team for 16 years and compiled
a 103-33-3 record. In
1979 he started the Women’s
Tennis program and guided
the team to an undefeated
season in 1981.
Grannie Annie ’82 Completes Goal to Run in All 50 States
Ann Singer with her husband in
Hawaii, where she completed her
50th state marathon.
When 65-year-old Ann Singer
arrived in Hawaii in September
‘08, it was the fulfillment
of a 15-year dream: not to
frolic in paradise, but rather
to cross the finish line - to run
26.2 miles in 95 degree heat
within 6.5 hours to complete
her 50th marathon in all 50
states, making her what is
known as a “50 Stater.”
Singer credits Joe Famellette,
Professor of Physical Education,
with inspiring her dream.
“When I was in my 40s, I decided
to attend RCC to earn a
degree. I needed gym credits,
so I enrolled in Joe Famellette’s ‘Fitness for Life’ program. When we
ran laps in the gym, he would let us ‘older ladies’ leave the course
to use the ladies’ room if necessary. None of the younger students
were allowed this privilege. He made us feel so comfortable, that we
thought, ‘Hey, we can really do this!’”
Famellette’s kindness and “you can do it” attitude toward his lessthan-athletic
students encouraged Singer to make fitness a part of her
daily life. “I wouldn’t have gotten off the couch for anybody else in
the world.” Singer’s husband, John, a marathon runner, was thrilled.
After earning her associate’s degree, Singer worked in the library at
Mahwah High School until she retired in 1992. She then set a new
goal: completing a marathon in all 50 states.
Singer’s marathons have taken her past Mount Rushmore; through
Alaska, where she had to wait for an irritated moose to cross her path
before continuing; through Colorado, where a green snake dropped
out of tree, landing right on her; and through West Virginia, where
continued p. 7
2010 sports Hall of Fame inductees
Sports Hall of Fame Inductees: Peter D’Auria, Chuck Todd, Pete
Carey, Mike Landau, Myrcee Cullen and Joe Famellette.
Pete Carey was drafted in the
fifth round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft after batting
.419 with eight home runs and 45 RBI in his freshman year. Carey
was named 1984 Mid Hudson Conference Player-of-the-Year. After
the 1985 season, he was drafted again in the second round, and
reported to the Kansas City Royals’ Northwest League affiliate in
Eugene, OR.
myrcee Cullen was named to the All-Tournament team at both the
Becker College and Sullivan County Community College Tournaments
during the 1994-95 basketball season. After graduating from
William Patterson University in Wayne, NJ, she became a Physical
Education teacher and coach at Manchester Regional High School
in Passaic County, where she pioneered the women’s basketball team
to their first victory in nearly six years. In 2006 and 2009, she led
6
the varsity volleyball team to
appearances in the New Jersey
State Tournament.
Peter D’Auria ’93 ruled the
golf course while at RCC.
He competed on two National
Tournament teams for
the Hawks. Most notably,
he finished 22nd at the 1993
National Tournament in St.
Simon’s Island, Georgia. He
transferred to Brown University
in Providence R.I., graduating
in 1995. He earned a degree in
1998 from the Tulane School
of Law in New Orleans, L.A.
He then served in the United
States Navy and received the
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation
Medal. He is now a
trial attorney for Department of
Justice.
mike Landau earned NJCAA All-American status for his performance
on the soccer field in 1966. He was also named to the All-Mid
Hudson Conference team the same year. Upon completing his studies
at RCC, he enlisted in the United States Army and served during the
Vietnam conflict.
Chuck todd was a power-hitting catcher. He was a member of the
1984 Mid Hudson Conference Championship team and was drafted
by the Cleveland Indians in 1985. Todd batted .409 with 36 RBI in
37 games in 1984. In 1985, he was named Mid Hudson Conference
Player-of-the-Year. Todd returned to RCC as an assistant coach for
five years. Most recently, he was appointed head baseball coach at
SUNY Ulster.

Alumni notes
nelli biktacheva voorheis ’99 left her job in the Emerging Markets
Fixed Income Division of Merrill Lynch in 2007 to become a stay-athome
mom. She has a two-year-old daughter, Laura, and is expecting
a baby boy in June. After earning her bachelor’s degree from the
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Finance, she earned
an MBA from Columbia University. From 2001-2004, she was an
Investment Banking Analyst for Salomon Smith Barney, which
merged with Citigroup. She is married to Victor J. Voorheis and lives
in Manhattan.
Lauren binder ’99 is a guidance counselor for a middle school in
Hopewell, VA. This summer, she will be taking 26 5th and 6th graders
to England and France as part of the People to People Student
Ambassador Program. After graduating from RCC, Binder earned a
BS in Management with concentrations in Financial Technology and
Marketing Systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and
a Masters of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from
Fordham University. She currently lives in Chester, VA.
Rebekah binger ’06 earned her bachelor’s degree from Pace University
and is currently attending Pace University School of Law,
expecting to graduate in 2011. This summer, she will be a Summer
Associate at Jones Day in New York City.
Christopher mcmanus ‘98, an independent filmmaker and artist
specializing in animation, has screened films in national and international
film festivals. After graduating from RCC, McManus earned
a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and joint masters
degrees in Public Health and Environmental Management from
Yale University in 2007. Between Georgetown and Yale, he went to
Namibia, Africa, as a Peace Corps Education volunteer. McManus
currently lives in Philadelphia, PA, where he works on community
development, film, and art.
Patricio nunez ’08 of Garnerville left his position as a residential
counselor to return to the College to work towards an associate’s degree
in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. He also works
as a substitute Teaching Assistant for Rockland BOCES.
Dylan Skriloff ’03 of Stony Point is Managing Editor of the Rockland
County Times. Since graduating RCC, he has been staff reporter
for the Hudson Valley Business Journal, a freelance writer for over
half a dozen publications and also traveled out West.
Grannie Annie Completes Goal continued
she had to barricade herself in a hot, unventilated “porta potty” to
escape from a growling dog.
When Famellette read in the Journal News about Singer preparing
for her 49th race and her goal to become a “50 Stater,” he sent
her a letter and a $50 bill on which he wrote, “Best Fitness for Life
Student.”
Singer has completed 70 marathons since turning 50, her most recent
being the New York Marathon in November. She faithfully walks
7
Sheila bunin ’68 of Tappan, a
75-year-old grandmother of seven and
soon to be great-grandmother,
remembers being pregnant with her
fourth child at the College and having
to walk up the third floor of Brucker
to take her art class. “Can you
imagine? I had to wear a skirt! They
wouldn’t let us wear pants--’proper
attire’ only.”
Bunin enrolled in 1961 with three
young children at home. I thought it
would be fun to take some courses
at the recently opened community
college. With a year of credits from
Queens College, I decided that taking one course each semester
wouldn’t interfere with being a mother and would eventually lead to
a degree. I took one evening course each semester and finally graduated
six years later with an AA degree--and an enormous sense of
accomplishment.
Five years later, Bunin received a BS in Psychology with a minor in
Education from St. Thomas Aquinas College, followed by masters’
degrees from Montclair State College in Guidance and Counseling
and Learning Disability-Teacher Consultant. She worked for 30
years at Summit School, a residential facility in Upper Nyack, as a
teacher and Educational Therapist.
Now retired, Bunin volunteers her time in the community and continues
to take classes—including auditing RCC credit-courses as well as
taking non-credit classes offered to seniors through RCC’s Institute
for Senior Education. In 2003, she performed in RCC’s production of
“The Vagina Monologues.”
Two of Bunin’s daughters, Yona and Lisa, earned a year of credits
at RCC during their senior year of high school at Tappan Zee. Yona
went on to SUNY Binghamton and Lisa went to England for a year
under the RCC International Baccalaureate Program, and then finished
at SUNY Stony Brook. She was accepted at both Harvard and
Johns Hopkins Medical Schools with a four- year complete scholarship.
She chose Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and is now a successful
ophthalmologist.
Grateful to the College, Bunin said, “RCC was an auspicious starting
point for many in my family.”
four to seven miles every day, sometimes pushing her granddaughter
in a stroller up and down the streets of Suffern.
“As you get older, the most important thing is to be active,” she
said. “When you’re younger, you’ve got to start preparing yourself
for the last 50 years—so you can reach 100!”
Any high school graduate can enroll in “Fitness for Life” (1-credit:
“Personal Fitness,” PED 118). The next course is offered Fall 2010.
Contact Admissions at 1-800-RCC-SOON.

Students of Note
Four Students Receive Prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award
Four SUNY Rockland students were recognized by the
highest honor bestowed upon a student in the State
University of New York for their integration of academic
excellence with other aspects of their lives, including
leadership, career achievement, community service,
creative and performing arts and/or personal achievement.
The students received the awards from Chancellor
Nancy Zimpher on April 6 at the Empire State
Convention Center in Albany. Each received a framed
certificate and medallion, which is traditionally worn at
Commencement.
Paola García Cárdenas; Santa Ana
High School, Costa Rica; A.S.:
Computer Information Systems;
GPA 3.8
An international student from Costa
Rica, Paola Garcia Cardenas of Suffern,
an athlete, is a former member
of the Professional Soccer League in
Costa Rica, where she represented her
town, Nicoya, at the National Games
in 2006. At RCC, she played for the
women’s tennis and basketball teams.
García Cárdenas received the College’s
2009 Hispanic Heritage Achievement Award in Leadership Activities
and is a member of the Alpha Beta Gamma, Phi Sigma Omicron and
Phi Theta Kappa honor societies and a member of the 2010 All-New
York Academic Team. She is employed by the College Library and
Computer Lab, and plans to transfer to St. Thomas Aquinas College
and major in Computer Science.
Honey Katzman’09; A.S.: Liberal
Arts and Science; GPA 4.0
Honey Katzman of Monsey, a returning
adult student, realized she wanted
to earn a college degree after taking a
course to become a Skywarn Spotter
for the National Weather Service. Formerly
office manager for a group
optometry practice, she earned her
associate’s degree in just three semesters.
Currently working on a second
associate’s degree in Business, she
was one of 250 students in the country
selected by NASA to be a National Community College Aerospace
Scholar, and one of 60 students chosen to work with NASA scientists
and engineers for three days at the Johnson Space Center in Houston,
Texas. She is a member of the honor societies Phi Sigma Omicron,
Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma, and works as a tutor at
the RCC Tutoring Center. She received the RCC Foundation’s Mayer
Family Scholarship.
maegan nevins, Tappan Zee High
School; A.A.: Liberal Arts and
Science; GPA 3.9
A member of RCC’s Sam Draper Mentor/Talented
Student (M/TS) Honors
program, Maegan Nevins of Blauvelt
received a scholarship to study at
Cambridge University in the summer
of 2009. Her thesis on landscapes was
ranked in the top three out of more
than 100 submissions in the Arts
category for Beacon Scholars ‘09. She
is President of the Student Activities
Board, a member of the Student
Government Association Executive Board and of Sigma Chi Eta and
Phi Theta Kappa. As a Student Ambassador, she serves as a representative
at campus and community events. She works part-time in the
office of O’Sullivan Tree Care in West Nyack.
Andrew C. newmark, Suffern High
School; A.A.: Liberal Arts and
Science; GPA 3.9
Honors student Andrew Newmark of
Airmont is the Student Representative
to the College’s Board of Trustees.
Newmark, who was a Freshman
Senator on the Student Government
Association in 2008-2009, is currently
chair of the Campus Improvements
and Student Government Cafeteria
Improvement Committees. He is active
in fundraising for several causes
including RCC’s Campus Fun & Learn Center and the RCC Food
Cupboard. Newmark is in the Sam Draper Mentor/Talented Student
Honors Program and is a member of the honor societies Phi Theta
Kappa and Phi Sigma Omicron. He received an RCC Outstanding
Student Service Award for 2008-2009, and in May, plans to go to
New Orleans with the RCC Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. He
received a Student Government Association Scholarship and the
Eugene Cameron Memorial Scholarship from the RCC Foundation.
8

High school drop-out uses Honors Program as
stepping stone to Columbia
Quit high school at 16 when he became a father
A high school dropout is heading to
Columbia University after completing
RCC’s Honors Program.
Enior J. Jimenez of Spring Valley
will attend the School of General
Studies of Columbia University this
fall, where he will pursue a bachelor’s
degree in Neuroscience and Behavior
with a concentration in Middle East
Studies. Ultimately, he hopes to enroll
in Columbia’s dual MD/PhD program.
Eight years ago, this educational
path seemed unlikely for Jimenez.
In 2002, he dropped out of high
school at the age of 16, upon learning
that his girlfriend (now his wife)
became pregnant with his child.
“I left school at the beginning of
my junior year and prematurely
began fulfilling my responsibilities
as a husband and father,” he said. “I
worked two full-time jobs at local gas stations trying the best I could
to provide for my wife and daughter. However, as time progressed,
the inescapable feeling of failure and inadequacy overcame me with
fear.”
He found solace in his Christian faith and volunteered at a local
church, where he was hired as a staff member responsible for the
church’s Hispanic ministry. He is now Senior Pastor and President of
a non-denominational Spanish-speaking church in Spring Valley.
Despite this success, Jimenez still faced a major hurdle-he was not
a legal U.S. resident. Originally from Costa Rica, he was smuggled
over the border at the age of four. “Experiences like having my high
Art student Lara Visconti exhibits her portrait at
the Student Digital Art Gallery Spring Show in the
Technology Center.
Enior J. Jimenez with his daughter, Judith, at a scientific poster
symposium at Binghamton University where he presented his
neuroscience research findings through the RCC Bridges to
Baccalaureate program. [photo by Ruth Jimenez]
9
school science class go to Niagara
Falls while I had to stay
home for fear that immigration
officers would deport me had
disparaged me throughout my
childhood.”
Finally, at the age of 21,
Jimenez acquired Permanent
Residence status and was able
to resume his formal education.
He enrolled at RCC, hoping his
placement exam, interview and
strong desire for intellectual
growth would be enough to
gain acceptance into the nationally
acclaimed Sam Draper
Mentor/Talented Student Honors
Program.
“Academically, I had nothing
to show for myself except my
GED. Incredibly, Dr. Cliff Garner
[Coordinator of the Honors
Program] saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.”
Garner said, “Enior told me that he had a dream, and that he had
heard RCC’s Honors Program was the
place where dreams could begin. I saw
a young man who was obviously bright,
but also had drive and clarity about
what he wanted for himself and his
family. I knew that if we gave him the
chance, he would succeed-and he did.”
“
Enior told me that
he had a dream,
and that he had
heard RCC’s
Honors Program
was the place
where dreams
could begin...
Armed with trash bags, cartons and gloves, Josephine
Coleman, Instructor of Business, and CASS student Liliana
Alcola, prepare to pick up debris from College Road during
the Great American Cleanup in April.
”

Heritage Celebrations
Vice President for Student
Development Dr. Eugene
Henderson Jr. congratulates
one of the local public school
students who was honored
during Black Achievement
Awards held on campus in
February.
Vanessa Lagos-Barros, Instructor of Spanish, French
and Anthropology, lectures on “Women In Colonial
Latin America” during Hispanic Heritage Month and
Women’s History Month.
Student Ruth Kolt greets Holocaust survivor Bronia Brandman, who
lectured about her experiences as a child survivor of the Auschwitz
concentration camp. Mrs. Brandman’s husband, Ephraim, looks on.
10 10
In honor of African American
History Month, Wylene Branton
Wood, “First Lady” of the
College, narrates a multi-media
presentation on journalist and
women’s rights activist Ida B.
Wells.
Student performers in the multi-media Global Jewry Fashion Show
depict famous people throughout Jewish history from Biblical times to
the present during Jewish Heritage Month.

Reamy Jansen, Professor of English and advisor
to the award-winning student magazine,
Impulse, had his memoir, “Available Light, Recollections
and Reflections of a Son,” published
in March by Hamilton Stone Editions.
Jansen’s book encompasses all family relationships—fathers
and sons, mothers and sons,
brothers, husbands and wives, and covers topics
such as generations and mortality.
A review in Chronogram, a Hudson Valley arts
and literature magazine, said, “When SUNY
Rockland and Fordham professor Reamy Jansen
was young, he made a box to store family photos,
adding a sprinkling of red and blue glitter
over ‘images that had already started to curl and
Achievements
English Professor Publishes Memoir
roll up like rhododendron leaves in winter.’ This
graceful suite of personal essays should prove
a more durable keepsake, with breathtaking
phrases that glint and surprise.”
Jansen, a Highland Falls resident, has been
teaching English at the College since 1971
and is the Creative Nonfiction Editor of The
Bloomsbury Review and Hamilton Stone Review
and past vice president of the National Book
Critics Circle. An essayist, poet, and critic, his
work has been published in such places as The
Washington Post, 32 Poems, Fugue, The Literary
Review, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, American
Book Review and many more. Eight of his essays
have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
Assistant bursar Appointed
mark Woodbine of Chestnut Ridge was appointed to
the administrative position of Assistant Bursar. Woodbine’s
responsibilities include providing administrative
supervision to the staff responsible for the accounting
and fiscal reporting of all financial transactions. He also
maintains the integrity and validity of student accounts.
11
The cover of Professor Reamy Jansen’s memoir, “Available Light”
Woodbine previously served as a Budget Analyst and
Accountant at Bronx Community College. He has an
Associate in Applied Science in Accounting from the
Borough of Manhattan Community College and a
Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from
Bernard Baruch College (CUNY) in New York.
Alumnus and Foundation Board Member Win Statewide Awards
Two Rockland men nominated by the College’s Board of Trustees received awards from the New York Community College Trustees (NY-
CCT) of the State University of New York. One, Dennis Dale, is the proud parent of two RCC graduates and the other, Jerry Donnellan, is an
accomplished graduate. They received the awards on March 12 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs.
Dennis Dale of Ramapo received the
Benefactor Vision for Tomorrow Award.
Impressed by the quality of education his
two sons received in the RCC Honors
Program, Dale has been a tireless advocate
on behalf of the College since 2003. He
attends all RCC recruiting events and creates
imaginative displays to demonstrate the
financial and academic advantages of
starting at a community college before
transferring to a four-year college.
Dale, a regular donor to the RCC Foundation’s fund for student
scholarships, serves on the Foundation board and on the advisory
board of the RCC Center for Professional and Personal Development.
He is president of an insurance company, Dale & Dale Associates.
Jerry Donnellan ’66 of Valley Cottage
received the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
As Commissioner/Director of Rockland
County Veteran Services, Donnellan, who
lost his leg to a grenade in 1969, has served
the needs of veterans for more than 20 years.
He worked to develop a health clinic for
veterans in Rockland that now aids more
than 6,000 veterans each year; established a
shelter for homeless veterans; was instrumental
in the establishment of the Camp
Shanks Museum in Orangeburg; and
organized the first Memorial Day watchfires in honor of those who
died in combat. Donnellan formerly served as Chairman of the RCC
Foundation.

RCC Foundation
145 College Road, Suffern, NY 10901
Upcoming Events
May
1 Scholarship Conference
2 Rockland Conservatory
3 Faculty Lecture: “From image
to meaning: A Celebration of
Cultural Diversity through
mandarin Chinese”
4 Finkelstein memorial Library
Film Festival
6 Artist Speaker Series
6 County Executive Arts Awards
8 Kindersymphony orchestra
theater
9 Rockland Symphony
11 Finkelstein memorial Library
Film Festival
14 Spring semester ends
15 Rockland County
Choral Society
16 Rockland County Concert band
17 Scholarship Awards Ceremony
18 Senior Awareness Day
20 Alumni Reunion
23 Commencement
25 nurses Pinning
June
1 Summer Session i begins
7 Summer Session ii begins
12, 13 American Cancer Society
Relay for Life
27 Fireworks
Calling all RCC alumni!
ALumni REunion PARty At tHE
nyACK SEAPoRt
Featuring a Comedy Repertoire
thursday, may 20, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Nyack Seaport (end of Main Street, Nyack)
For only a $10 donation, enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres,
the company of other RCC alumni, and a great comedy
show! To RSVP, contact Don Cairns, RCC Foundation,
at (845) 574-4576 or dcairns@sunyrockland.edu
Non-Profit Organization
PresOrted staNdard
Us POstage
PAID
Monsey, NY 10952
Permit No. 302
For details, check
calendar of events online at
www.sunyrockland.edu or
call (845) 574-4032.
July
6 Summer Session iii
begins
^
9-11, 16-18 Shakespeare under
the Stars
Summer
My first choice: SUNY Rockland
• Earn up to 12 college credits this summer
• Only $142/credit (NYS residents)
• Transfer your credits to another school
• Learn anywhere, anytime, with online classes
Session I: June 1 - July 1 (5 weeks)
Session II: June 7 - July 29 (8 weeks)
Session III: July 6 - August 5 (5 weeks)
RegISteR NOW!
Registration information and course availability:
www.sunyrockland.edu/go/summer
1-800-RCC-SOON
All College Students and Recent High School Graduates Welcome