Chancellor King Announces the Fourth Class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program Recipients to Support Future Mental Health Professionals
July 28, 2025
Eighteen Students Pursuing Degrees in Mental Health Fields to Attend Seven SUNY Campuses This Fall
Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the fourth class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program recipients, with 18 students who will attend seven SUNY campuses this fall to pursue degrees in mental health fields. The scholarship program was established in August 2022 by Governor Kathy Hochul and is part of SUNY’s partnership with New York State’s Office of Mental Health (OMH) to strengthen the pipeline of mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on serving New Yorkers who may have historically lacked access to quality mental health care.
“Helping students from all backgrounds join the ranks of mental health professionals will mean more New Yorkers are able to access these vital services going forward,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Mental health is important to all communities, and the SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program empowers more students to enter and thrive in this essential field. We are thankful to Governor Hochul and our partners at the New York State Office of Mental Health for developing programs like this scholarship to expand care across our state.”
SUNY Board Trustee Eunice A. Lewin said, “For this class alone, more than 200 students applied for 18 spots, which demonstrates the demand for this program and the competitiveness across our campuses. SUNY is a place of academic excellence and comprehensive student success support, and it is my pleasure to congratulate this class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program awardees as they prepare to meet the mental health needs of our state.”
The program was designed to increase retention and completion rates of undergraduate and graduate students. Scholarships are awarded for up to two years per student, and the program also offers paid internships, fee waivers for graduate school applicants, and more to support students in mental health degree programs. To be eligible for the SUNY/OMH Mental Health Scholarship, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, residents of New York State, enrolled in a SUNY campus majoring in a mental health discipline, maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, be full-time students, and be at least second-year undergraduates or first-year graduate students. Preferred candidates include Pell grant recipients, veterans, AmeriCorps alumni, first generation college students, and multilingual students. For more information about the SUNY/OMH Mental Health Scholarship, please visit: https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/.
Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “The strength of our mental health care system is reflected by the diversity of our workforce. These scholarships are a critical component in our effort to ensure our state has a strong pipeline of professionals from diverse backgrounds to serve our communities. Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, we are building a workforce well-prepared to deliver high-quality mental health care to all New Yorkers.”
State Senator Samra G. Brouk, Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, said, “As Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health, I am enormously proud of the recipients of the SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program for pursuing this rewarding and essential career path. With the need for more mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds only increasing, these 18 students are ensuring that our vulnerable populations will be taken care of for years to come. I want to send a warm congratulations to the students, and thank SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and Governor Kathy Hochul for their continued investment into our mental health workforce."
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, “SUNY’s investment in educating the next generation of mental health professionals is significant. The SUNY/OMH Scholarship program provides students with the financial aid they need to pursue a career in this underserved sector of healthcare. Its goal of increasing diversity will result in a much-improved quality of care for New Yorkers. I thank Governor Hochul and Chancellor King for their steadfast commitment to SUNY and congratulate the scholarship’s latest recipients.”
State Senator Particia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said, “As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Mental Health, I commend SUNY and the Office of Mental Health for their continued commitment to fostering a diverse, skilled mental health workforce. This scholarship program not only supports students financially, but also creates a vital pipeline of professionals who understand the communities they will serve. Investing in these future mental health professionals is an investment in the well-being of all New Yorkers. Congratulations and much success to all the recipients.”
State Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, “Investing in the next generation of mental health professionals is not only critical to addressing the growing need for care, but also to ensuring that the workforce reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. I applaud SUNY and the Office of Mental Health for their continued commitment to supporting students from all backgrounds as they pursue careers in this vital field. These scholarships are helping to remove barriers and build a stronger, more inclusive mental health system for New York.”
State Assemblymember Joe Sempolinski said, “Congratulations and thank you to each one of these student scholars for choosing to devote themselves to helping their fellow New Yorkers. As Ranking Member of the Assembly Mental Health Committee, I am very pleased to see people entering the mental health field to help underserved populations, especially in rural communities. As a state, we need to remain committed to promoting access to mental health services across New York.”
State Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles said, “Our state and country continues to face an escalating mental health crisis compounded by a declining number of mental health professionals. At the same time, we face a serious lack of diversity in the mental health workforce which creates a gap that can deeply affect trust and long-term treatment outcomes. This Mental Health Scholarship Pipeline Program is a brilliant and forward thinking head-on response to these challenges and creates a pathway that will build the next generation of mental health professionals that better reflect and understand the communities it serves. This program is a testament to what is possible when we invest in people and in public education. Congratulations to the fourth class of The Office of Mental Health’s Scholarship recipients, your dedication will help build a stronger mental health workforce across our state.”
Scholarships were awarded to the following students:
Doctoral Students
- Joyce Li, University at Albany
- Brianna Lind, Binghamton University
- Antonio Regulier, University at Albany
- Jadyn Trayvick, Stony Brook University
Master’s Students
- Jenay Bartlett, University at Albany
- Elise Briedis, SUNY Oswego
- Christopher Cajamarca Ortega, Stony Brook University
- Dehnique DeFreitas, University at Buffalo
- Sakena Kearse, Binghamton University
- Amanda Linares, SUNY Plattsburgh
- Anne Lins, Stony Brook University
- Simón Melgarejo Ramirez, SUNY Plattsburgh
- Milagros Morales, Binghamton University
- Ava Slaughter, SUNY New Paltz
- Michaela Thorley, University at Buffalo
- Emily Zanat, University at Albany
Undergraduate Students
- Yoeli Rosario Almonte, SUNY Plattsburgh (Transferred from SUNY Rockland)
- Daniela Tejada, Binghamton University (Transferred from SUNY Broome)
In addition to this program, SUNY is investing nearly $10 million in recurring annual funding to support State-operated campuses in expanding mental health services – reaching 29 campuses enrolling more than 200,000 students – and is investing $3 million in recurring annual funding to support mental health services at Community Colleges.
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, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its 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 $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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