SUNY New Paltz celebrates more than $24.7 million raised for scholarships and campus programs

September 30, 2021 Christina Williams

*Mackenzy McMorris ’22 (Black Studies; Finance)*

The SUNY New Paltz community celebrated the successful conclusion of Soaring Higher—The Campaign for SUNY New Paltz, the first-ever comprehensive campaign in the College’s history, with remarks held in the campus Lecture Center on Sept. 23, 2021.

The program included comments from SUNY New Paltz President Donald P. Christian, Vice President of Development & Alumni Relations Erica Marks, Campaign Chair Mike Keegan, and New Paltz student Mackenzy McMorris ’22 (Black Studies; Finance).

“For the greater good, each of us is asked to do something beyond our comfort zone,” said Keegan. “Today’s success is shared by many. All around us are examples of the generosity and support of our donors.”

Thanks to the generosity of many members of the global New Paltz community, the SUNY New Paltz Foundation exceeded its original goal of $23 million, raising a total of $24.7 million in campaign support as of June 30, 2021, with more than $10 million in scholarship support, $11.1 million in program support, and $3.5 million in unrestricted support for the Fund for New Paltz.

Alumnus Ira Schreck ’74 (middle) stands with the College’s Student Resilience Advocates and Institute for Disaster Mental Health Deputy Director Karla Vermeulen (right). Schreck and his wife, Barbara S. Ginsberg, established the Student Psychological Resilience Project Fund in 2020.

“As we look forward, we continue to focus on our students – certainly by increasing our support for scholarships in general, and also our Educational Opportunity Program and our Scholar’s Mentorship Program,” said President Christian, who has seen the College’s endowment grow from $14 million to $34 million since his appointment in 2010.

Campaign funds will create new opportunities for current and future generations of New Paltz students. They enable the College to welcome more students to campus through expanded scholarships—with a record-setting $1 million awarded to students in 2020 alone—to establish new programs, like the Student Psychological Resilience Project, and to grow unrestricted funds.

Additionally, philanthropy continues to add to critical, emergency resources for students, such as the Crossing the Finish Line Fund, which helps students in crisis complete their education, and the Student Crisis Fund, which provides one-time grants for a range of emergency needs.