SUNY Celebrates the Achievements of 50 EOP Students Honored with the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence
March 13, 2025
Award Recognizes Educational Opportunity Program Students for Academic Excellence and Perseverance
Photos from the Event This Week Can Be Found Here
Albany, NY – The SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor John B. King Jr. recognized the achievements of 50 students in SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) who are honored with the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. The award, now celebrating its sixth class of honorees, recognizes outstanding EOP students for their academic merit and perseverance.
The honor is named in memory of Norman R. McConney Jr. (1946–2016), a graduate of the University at Albany and former assistant dean for special programs at SUNY. McConney, alongside former Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, helped create the EOP as a statewide program.
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "More than 8,000 SUNY students on 55 campuses are directly benefiting from the extraordinary services offered by the Educational Opportunity Program. Their paths towards a college education are immeasurably strengthened by the support offered by EOP, which is one of SUNY's most powerful strategies for student success and upward mobility."
"I am constantly reminded of the profound impact SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program has had on countless lives. The stories, triumphs, and unwavering determination of SUNY's EOP students serve as beacons of hope and inspiration for future generations of students," said SUNY Chancellor King. "At SUNY, we are immensely grateful for the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the Legislature who continue to support this transformative program that ensures students not only start but have the support to complete their degrees."
Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes, representing the 141st Assembly District since 2003, has been recognized as this year's honorary Norman R. McConney Jr. Award Winner.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "Congratulations to this year's new cohort of Norman R. McConney, Jr. Student Excellence Award Winners. I am very proud of the work our SUNY Educational Opportunity Program continues to do in expanding access to higher education here in New York State, including the recent launch of the new SUNY EOP Career Development Internship Program to provide EOP students with additional financial, personal, and professional support. This session, the Senate Democratic Conference has worked to make higher education more affordable by expanding access to tuition assistance and increasing transparency for students. We remain committed to continuing to work with our SUNY partners on initiatives that will further support the diverse needs of our state's students."
Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said, "Congratulations to all students who have been awarded the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award. Your dedication and perseverance have led you to this moment, and we are confident that they will continue to move you forward in achieving your many aspirations. The Norman R. McConney Jr. award is named after a visionary who was committed to fostering an environment that promoted the growth and development of students from all walks of life. We trust that you will draw inspiration from his legacy, striving for excellence while inspiring generations to come."
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, "Educational Opportunity Program graduates have had a significant impact on our state. You can find EOP grads in all walks of life. The success stories of EOP grads are numerous. The EOP gives opportunities where, without the EOP, certain opportunities would not exist. Congratulations to the Norman. R. McConney Jr. Award honorees."
State Senator Robert Jackson said, "As a proud SUNY EOP alumnus, I am thrilled to celebrate these exceptional scholars receiving the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. Each honoree exemplifies the determination, resilience, and brilliance cultivated through SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program. EOP goes beyond providing access—it empowers students, advances justice, and transforms lives. As we recognize these remarkable students, we reaffirm our commitment to educational equity and honor the enduring legacies of trailblazers like Norman McConney Jr. and Arthur O. Eve. Congratulations to all awardees—your achievements pave the way for future generations."
State Senator Lea Webb said, "As a member of the Senate's Higher Education Committee and proud SUNY EOP alum, I know firsthand the transformative power of the Educational Opportunity Program. EOP provides students with the support, guidance, and resources they need to thrive, no matter their background. Congratulations to the 50 remarkable students receiving the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award—your dedication and achievements exemplify the very best of what this program stands for."
Assembly Member Souffrant Forrest said, "As someone who had the opportunity to benefit from the EOP program, I congratulate the recipients of this year's Norman R. McConney awards. These students have shown incredible initiative and dedication, and I am proud of their leadership."
Assembly Member Latrice M. Walker said, "Congratulations to the 50 students who have been honored with the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. These students, based on their academic and personal achievements, represent the best and brightest that New York has to offer. The SUNY Educational Opportunity Program has helped more than 85,000 students across five decades to pursue their academic and career goals. As a proud graduate of SUNY Purchase, I was one of those students. I am excited to see what lies ahead for the award winners."
Shannon R. Waite, Ed.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University's School of Education and an Educational Opportunity Program alumna, was this year's keynote speaker. With over 20 years of experience as an educator, Dr. Waite's research focuses on diversity recruitment and pipeline programs, culturally responsive school leadership, fostering critical consciousness in educational leaders, and exploring the intersections of hyper-segregation and the school-to-prison pipeline. An award-winning scholar, Dr. Waite received the prestigious 2024 University Council of Education Administration's Paula Silver Case Award for her teaching case study, "Are Educational Leaders of Color Truly Able to Lead for Equity? Maintaining the Status Quo or Disrupting Unequitable Systems?" Currently, Dr. Waite serves as the principal investigator for her department's partnership with the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Equity-Centered Pipeline Initiative (ECPI), funded by The Wallace Foundation. Dr. Waite's leadership extends beyond academia. She is a former Mayoral appointee to the New York City Department of Education's Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) and a former Trustee of the Board of Education Retirement Systems (BERS).
This year's student speaker, Siniyah Sutton-Barton, a senior at Monroe Community College, has consistently earned Dean's List honors in the campus's Homeland Security program. She played a key role in founding the MCC Women of Excellence organization, focusing on mentorship, academic support, financial literacy, professional development, and community engagement. Sutton-Barton was also inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. Active in her community, she has led clothing drives and collected hygiene items for domestic violence organizations. As an advocate for colon cancer awareness, inspired by her mother's early death from the disease, she promotes testing and awareness. Sutton-Barton, a mother of two, balances her studies, advocacy, and family life. After earning her Associate's degree, Sutton-Barton plans to pursue a Bachelor's in Homeland Security and Applied Intelligence at Roberts Wesleyan University and gain experience in government homeland security before continuing her education with a Master's degree.
Since its inception in 1967, the EOP has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. In its 58-year history, the EOP has served more than 85,000 students and evolved into one of the country's most successful college access programs.
About Norman R. McConney, Jr.
SUNY recognizes Educational Opportunity Program students for their academic achievements in honor of Norman R. McConney, Jr. due to his legacy of public service, which encompassed several statewide initiatives to benefit underrepresented New Yorkers, including programs to prepare minority high school students for careers in the sciences and medicine and scholarships for students underrepresented in the licensed professions. Mr. McConney is also credited with helping found the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, which later became the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
Share this:
Holly Liapis
518-320-1311
Email the Office of Communications
