SPRING 2017 | VOL. 2 | NO. 5 Manuscript SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY’S AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO ALUMNI MAGAZINE CBT COMING BACK TOGETHER Syracuse University African American and Latino Alumni Reunion September 14-17, 2017 Register online at programdevelopment.syr.edu Woman reading Manuscript magazine Syracuse Manuscript Is Going Green! Syracuse Manuscript can be found online at programdevelopment.syr.edu Don’t miss out on issues of Syracuse Manuscript or CBT updates. Send your email address to pdevelop@syr.edu. Contents From the ’Cuse...........................................................................2 Mirta Desir ’03 and Harold Jean-Louis ’05....................3 William J. Borras ’84...............................................................4 Maria Melendéz ’89...............................................................5 Lewis Wallace Jr. ’72...............................................................6 OTHC Celebrates 30th Year...............................................8 OTHC List of Donors............................................................10 Welcome Mark Jackson.........................................................12 Yvette Asumeng ’18........................................................13 Avery Callahan Jr. ’19.....................................................13 José González ’17 ............................................................14 Tatiana Hernández-Mitchell ’20...................................14 Alexus Martin ’18............................................................15 Cueva Funds Orange Grove Landmark......................16 CBT Student Co-Chairs Selected......................................17 MacDonald and Mayes Honored as Trailblazers.....18 Our Supporters Make First-Ever Online Campaign a Success..........................................18 Program Development Launches Shades of Orange E-Newsletter ..................................19 SU Protests Immigration Policies.................................19 Alexis Peterson ’17..........................................................20 In Memoriam...........................................................................21 CBT Registration Form ...................................................23 ON THE COVER: OTHC Scholars Sarah Valenzuela ’16 and Anthony Herbert ’15 with donor Charlie Lester ’81 during the CBT 2014 reunion celebration. Manuscript SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY’S AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO ALUMNI MAGAZINE Office of Program Development Syracuse University 900 South Crouse Ave 420 Crouse-Hinds Hall Syracuse NY 13244-5040 315.443.4556 f: 315.443.5312 WEBSITE programdevelopment.syr.edu EMAIL pdevelop@syr.edu RACHEL VASSEL, Assistant Vice President, Program Development MARK JACKSON, Executive Director, Program Development ANGELA MORALES-PATTERSON, Assistant Director, Alumni and Donor Engagement SUSAN C. BLANCA, Administrative Specialist WRITER/EDITOR: Renée Gearhart Levy EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE: George Bain DESIGN: W. Michael McGrath PROJECT MANAGER: Melanie Stopyra Opinions expressed in Syracuse Manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of its editors or the policies of Syracuse University. Formal Photograph of Rachel Vassel ’91 . FROM THE ’CUSE Get Excited About CBT 2017 G reetings! I hope the New Year has been productive for you. Here in the Office of Program Development, we’re looking forward to your visit in the fall and working hard to create a Coming Back Together (CBT) reunion weekend that will exceed your expectations! First, we are honored to have Dave Bing ’66 as our keynote speaker for the CBT Gala on Saturday, September 16. He has been a longtime supporter of the University, our office, and CBT, and it will be wonderful to hear his rich life lessons. Since Dave’s days as a student-athlete at SU, he has been a professional basketball player, businessman, politician, and community leader. Dave has certainly kept busy over the years, yet he has always made time for philanthropy. We appreciate him as one of the initial donors to the Our Time Has Come endowment for black and Latino students at Syracuse, a legacy that keeps on giving. The stories of the OTHC scholars in this issue prove that giving to the fund is literally life changing. We look forward to seeing many of you during the various pre-CBT receptions across the country this spring. If you haven’t registered for CBT yet, please do so at programdevelopment.syr.edu. The early bird rate of $215 ($150 for Generation Orange) will be available until April 30. This fee includes virtually all of the reunion weekend’s activities, including the CBT Gala, concert, tailgate, game, and receptions. What a deal! Our office is growing! I can’t wait for you to meet Mark Jackson, our new executive director, who is focused on Program Development operations and partnerships that will make us more efficient and further our efforts. And for the first time, we’re looking for a director of development who will help us uncover the donors who want to make an impact, like our friend Zhamyr “Sammy” Cueva ’93, featured in this issue. And Angela Morales-Patterson and Susan Blanca continue to have great passion for our work and much love for all of you. Since joining the staff at Syracuse, I’ve spoken with many of you about ways that you’d like to support our beloved alma mater with your time, talent, and treasure. Several of you have passed along tremendous ideas and suggestions that will make us better. I encourage you to keep those ideas coming, because we’re listening. If you’ve never been involved or made a gift before, now is a great time. If you’ve been involved, but want to engage in a different way, please let us know. This is a new beginning with lots of great opportunities that will require your ongoing support and input to become reality. I can be reached at revassel@syr.edu whenever you’d like to connect. My team and I continue to be inspired by you—our talented alumni and students of color. Let’s continue to support one another, stay connected, and give back to those students who need a helping hand. The best is yet to come! With Orange Love, Rachel Vassel ’91 Assistant Vice President, Office of Program Development \ Mirta Desir ’03 and Harold Jean-Louis ’05 ALUMNIprofile: Mirta Desir ’03 and Harold Jean-Louis ’05 Language for Little Learners Born in Haiti, Mirta Desir ’03 was 6 when she joined her parents in Florida, where shestruggled in school to learn English. “My ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher spoke to me in English, read to me in English, and helped me write in English,” recalls Desir. “I was desperate to understand her, but I didn’t speak English.” Desir’s breakthrough came when a bilingual Haitian Creole- and English- speaking instructor came to her home to teach sign language to her younger brother, who is deaf. “I sat in on his language sessions and was out of ESOL in one year.” When Desir’s first child was born, she was determined that her daughter be multilingual. And because of her own experience, she wanted to take advantage of the golden window for language absorption between birth and age 5. But Desir didn’t speak Spanish or Mandarin herself and couldn’t find a bilingual instructor to teach her baby. Instead Desir, a civil rights attorney, created her own solution. Smart Coos is an Internet-based language immersion program that provides live language classes in sign language, Mandarin, French, Spanish, and English, among other languages, aimed at children from ages 3 months to 13 years, as well as resources to help maintain the language, such as text nudges and multilingual books. Looking for a partner to launch this new business venture, Desir immediately thought of her Syracuse University friend Harold Jean-Louis ’05, who is also of Haitian descent. “I grew up in New York City schools, where a lot of kids grow up speaking their parent’s native language at home and have a tough time when they get to school. I grew up speaking Creole and got put in an ESL program myself, so I could see there was a big need for this,” says Jean-Louis, who was working at a CPA firm at the time. Pitching their idea to various entrepreneurial competitions and private investors, they not only raised $100,000 in startup funds to launch Smart Coos, but were also selected to participate in 4.0 Schools, a unique nonprofit education innovation lab based in New Orleans that trains entrepreneurs to build breakthrough solutions in education. “It was a great opportunity. We developed skill sets that positioned us as a sustainable company,” says Jean-Louis, adding that his accounting background and Desir’s legal expertise were also a big plus. Smart Coos was launched with two focus areas: a consumer product for parents to use with their children, and a school-based language instruction program specifically geared toward ESL learners. Currently, Smart Coos is partnering with school districts in New York. Desir and Jean-Louis have benefitted from good publicity, having been featured in both Essence and American Airlines magazines. But they say the best publicity has been the referral of users, both consumers and school districts. “One of the challenges teachers have is the disconnect in trying to communicate with parents who don’t speak English well,” says Jean-Louis. To assist, they created a text-messaging program that translates text messages from teachers to parents, and vice versa, in whatever language is selected. “We’ve found that it really helps close the communication gap.” Desir says their personal experiences make her and Jean-Louis well suited for their endeavor. “A growing chunk of the population is English language learners,” she says, “We’re actually solving problems that we’re very familiar with.” \ ALUMNIprofile: Bill Borras ’84 is a captain for United Airlines. William J. Borras ’84 Flying the Friendly Skies William J. Borras ’84 has a map in his homewith pins marking each country he’s visited. It’s a remarkable visual display of his career. For more than 40 years, Borras has traversed the globe as a pilot, including a 20-year military career with the Air Force and Air National Guard and 22 years flying commercially for United Airlines. “I’ve seen almost every continent,” he says. Whether it’s the Tokyo skyline at night or the Northern Lights over the Arctic Circle, “I tell people I have the best office view in the world.’’ Borras’ dreams of flying began as a teenager. He grew up in a “patriotic family” that included many police officers and firefighters. The military seemed an extension of that service, and Borras headed to Syracuse University as a member of the Air Force ROTC. “It was a way to give back while exploring my fascination with flight,” he says. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Borras began pilot training in Del Rio, Texas, and then became an instructor in the same program. He ultimately became trained as a B-52 pilot and flew 25 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. After completing his active- duty service, Borras spent seven years flying C-5 training missions with the New York National Guard before retiring from the military. Borras began flying for United Airlines in 1995. “It’s a very competitive, extensive interview process,” says Borras of being hired by one of the Big Three American carriers. “That’s what everyone in the industry strives for.” He began his commercial career flying long-haul domestic and international flights as a co-pilot in Boeing 767s and 757s based out of John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. After nine years, he progressed to the Boeing 777, flying to locations in the Pacific—Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Two years ago, Borras moved back to the 767/757 routes, now as a captain. Borras flies an average of 15 days a month, working four days on and four days off. During winter months, he primarily flies cross- country routes between Newark and Los Angeles or San Francisco. During summer, he flies more international routes between New York and European cities such as London, Edinburgh, and Amsterdam. Only five percent of commercial airline pilots are Latino or Hispanic. “It’s an extremely small subset,” says Borras, whose heritage is Puerto Rican and Cuban. It’s not the only elite group he’s a part of. “There are not many commercial airline pilots in the world, let alone those that have flown internationally. That group gets even smaller when you factor in military experience and even smaller still of those that have been engaged in combat,” he says. “It’s a small community. No matter where I fly in the world, I see people I’ve flown with at some point in my career. Those friendships are everlasting.” Years of flying—he’s logged 20,000 hours in the air and millions of miles—have not diminished his fascination with aircraft or love of flight. “The combination of that amount of technology with that amount of machinery and the value of the people in back is an awesome responsibility,” he says. “People sometimes think that the airplane flies itself on autopilot. But that’s a simplistic view. We’re trained to handle every possible malfunction. Every time we reach our destination safely is incredibly rewarding.”\ ALUMNIprofile: Maria Melendez ’89 encourages other women of color to pursue professional opportunities. Maria Melendéz ’89 Legal Role Model Throughout her career, attorney MariaMelendéz ’89 has mentored junior lawyers, students, and peers in the profession. Sometimes mentoring is a role she takes on as a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, a law firm with more than 1,900 lawyers in 20 offices worldwide, and various firm committees she has led throughout her 23-year tenure. “Other times I just do it— particularly when it comes to women in law and women of color,” Melendéz says. Melendéz wants women to see that they do have a place in the field and to pursue leadership opportunities. She takes inspiration from the quote by activist Marian Wright Edelman: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” “There are huge gaps in this community, and there are a lot of first-generation folks who are coming through the ranks who don’t have access to partners that look like them,” Melendéz says. “For a lot of people it is important to connect with someone and say ’I see her and she’s a lot like me. She’s making it and it gives me hope that I can make it too.’” Melendéz had to forge her own path— she was the first Latina to make partner in her firm’s New York office in 2002. “I personally did not have role models that looked like me in my firm, but I did have several men who were incredibly generous and did mentor me and were very helpful in my career development,” Melendéz says. While at Syracuse, Melendéz, a marketing major in the then-School of Management, had her own mentor, Professor Elet Callahan, now professor emerita in the Whitman School of Management. Melendéz took the required Law and Public Policy course with Callahan and loved it. “She was very professional and challenged students. She made us think and express our opinions,” Melendéz says. “She was the one who really drew out that part of me, wanting me to be vocal and thoughtful and opinionated, and for me it was fun.” Callahan saw her potential in the field of law. “She is the one who basically sat me down and said ‘you should go to law school.’ She’s the one that guided me through the process,” Melendéz says. The two have stayed in touch over the years, following each other’s careers. “She was definitely a huge influence in my life and someone I credit mightily with my law career,” she says. As she found her way academically, Melendéz was also challenged as a first- generation student—as well as someone from a lower socio- economic status—to find her way in an unfamiliar setting. “It’s complex but I think the hardest thing for me—and what I gather from other first-generation students that I’ve come to know over the years—is the sort of fish-out- of-water phenomenon, where everything is new, everything is different,” Melendéz says. Melendéz imagines a lot of students with similar backgrounds may have a similar experience, but she found strength in her determination and her goals. “For me it was persistence because I wanted to get an education,” Melendéz says. “And that’s what I would say to students: There might be obstacles and challenges and disappointments along the way, but you have to pick yourself up and keep moving forward.” Her involvement with the SU Marching Band and Sour Sitrus Society as an alto saxophone player helped her to acclimate and was one of the best experiences for her at Syracuse. “Marching Band was home in a sense. Compared to the rest of the student body, it was a small community, and we all lived and worked together a lot because of practice and games,” says Melendéz, who also met her husband, Alan James “Jim” Hinkley ’90, a trumpet player, while in band. “We did become a bit of a family, and it was very helpful to have that support system.” Melendéz, who went on to earn a law degree from Albany Law School, began at her current firm in 1993. She practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation and international arbitration. Her practice also includes representing entities and individuals in investigations conducted by regulators, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “I love the complexity of it,” says Melendéz, who was appointed acting chair of Panel III of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Judicial Department in 2015. “I’m a litigator. I enjoy the adversarial nature of my practice in that there is a dispute and my job is to figure out a way to help my client resolve it in a manner that is as favorable to my client’s position as possible.” Her legal experience also extends to pro bono work, with LatinoJustice PRLDEF as a member and chair of its board of directors. The organization seeks to protect the civil and human rights of Latinos in the United States and supports minority students in the law field. Melendéz also serves as Sidley’s representative to Her Justice and handles cases on behalf of the organization, which provides legal help to low-income women in New York City on matters of domestic abuse and child custody. “It’s incredibly rewarding work and the need for assistance is huge. I’m happy to provide that assistance, along with the support from my law firm,” says Melendéz, who received the Her Justice’s Commitment to Justice Award in 2014. Melendéz is also looking forward to giving back her time to young people while participating in Coming Back Together XII (CBT) in September. “Parts of CBT incorporate alumni and students interacting, which is very appealing to me,” says Melendéz, who has two sons, Matthew and Joshua. “It’s very important to give back in that sense: to meet with students, to talk with them and encourage them to pursue their goals and not be dissuaded by the lack of minority representation in their field.” \ ALUMNIprofile: John Kerry, former Secretary of State, with Lewis Wallace Jr. ’72 Lewis Wallace Jr. ’72 Russian Expert As rumors swirl surrounding Russian influencein the U.S. presidential election, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Lewis Wallace Jr. ’72 is not the least bit surprised. “They’re using some of their old methods,” he says. Although he can’t elaborate, Wallace clearly knows what he’s talking about, having spent more than 50 years as a Russian language and intelligence specialist. It was an unlikely career for a young, African American Air Force recruit from Washington, D.C., in the mid-1960s. At basic training in 1965, Wallace was given a language aptitude test. “The test was in some dialect of Yiddish and involved learning the grammar, vocabulary, and syntax in the process of taking the test,” he recalls. “According to the military, if you could pass the test, they could teach you any spoken language.” Wallace, who had studied Latin and French in high school, was sent to the East European Language School at Syracuse University for a nine- month intensive program in Russian. He completed the course at the top of his 250-person class. “I gave the valedictory speech in Hendricks Chapel in Russian,” he says. “It was a big honor as the first African American.” Wallace spent two years as an aircrew member flying reconnaissance missions out of Alaska, then returned to Syracuse for the nine-month intermediate language course in Russian. After another tour of duty in Alaska, Wallace applied for the Air Force Boot strap Officer Commissioning Program, which sent qualified airmen back to college to complete their degrees, and was accepted at Syracuse University. He was able to apply his previous language study and completed a degree in Russian Studies in one year. Wallace, the only African American Russian Studies major, graduated summa cum laude, but he was not invited to join the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He petitioned the school, and five years later, was invited to join the Kappa Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Syracuse. Despite his expertise in Russian, Wallace served his next tour in Korea as a weapons systems officer. While there, he applied for another Air Force program to pursue a master’s in Russian, which he earned at Ohio State University. “I’m a real advocate of education, especially through the military, because I’ve received essentially all my education paid for through the military,” he says. After completing his degree, Wallace was assigned to teach at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where he was the first African American instructor (and later assistant professor) of Russian. “I think I’m still the only one,” he jokes. Selected as a U.S. Air Force National Defense Fellow, Wallace completed a postgraduate internship at Boston University, an experience that gave him the opportunity to lecture at Harvard University’s Center for Information Policy Research on his experiences in the Soviet Union. Wallace was working in Air Force intelligence in Washington, D.C., when he received his plum assignment. In 1988, he was appointed as assistant air attaché at the American Embassy in Moscow, where he advised the ambassador on military developments and escorted visiting officials and congressional delegations. “I was the first, and to my knowledge the only, African American to hold this position,” he says. Wallace and his family spent two years living in Moscow. Although he was fluent in Russian, his family was not. His wife and two teenaged children took Russian classes in Washington, D.C., before going to Moscow, and to prepare for this assignment, the family spent a year in Germany while Wallace studied advanced Russian at the Army Russian Language Institute. “It was a wonderful experience representing our country, especially as the first African American military attaché,” he says. Wallace says that in official capacities, he was received “formally” by the Soviets he interacted with. “They had to respond to my credentials as a colonel and a diplomat.” On the streets of Moscow, however, he says he and his family received stares and sometimes catcalls. “There were a lot of African students in the Soviet Union at that time but not many black Americans.” Wallace went on to an intelligence position at the Pentagon during Operation Desert Storm, where he briefed Gen. Colin Powell, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. One of his proudest accomplishments was a temporary assignment to the Department of State in the early 1990s, serving as mission commander for numerous humanitarian relief missions to the former Soviet republics, known as Operation Provide Hope. “The United States transported thousands of tons of food and medical supplies all over Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union,” he says. When Wallace retired from the military in 2000 after 35 years, he had received numerous decorations, including two Defense Superior Service Medals, the Legion of Merit, and six Air Medals. As a civilian, Wallace worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C, as a senior intelligence officer working on Russian military affairs and trained future diplomats at the Joint Military Attaché School. Wallace was also the first African American to serve as Deputy to the President of the Joint Military Intelligence College (now the National Intelligence University). Although he retired in 2012, he has had the opportunity to meet with both former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (“another Russian speaker,” he says), and most recently, with former Secretary of State John Kerry. “I owe it all to Syracuse, because that’s really what provided my foundation,” says Wallace of his trailblazing career. Coincidentally, his son Marten David Wallace Sr., who was born in Syracuse, is an MBA student at SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management. “The United States is basically the only world power left. Russia wants to ascend to its old role as a world power, but it has a lot of problems,” says Wallace, who is working on a memoir about his experiences. “I truly admire the Russian people, their history, and culture. Hopefully, over time we will find some accommodation with Russia so that we can work together, but in the meantime, the adversarial relationship will likely continue.” \Wallace with his wife, Annie Our Time Has Come Celebrates 30 YEARS Image: David Bing ’66, H’06 While the scholarship fund has impacted hundreds of students over three decades, rising costs make the need greater than ever. Dwight Elliott ’94, M.A. ’96 As a professor at Miami-Dade College in Miami, Dwight Elliott ’94, M.A. ’96, shares his own story with students regularly in attempt to inspire what is possible with hard work in the classroom. “My background is so similar, they can relate to me,” he says of his diverse student body. Elliott was born in Jamaica and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A high school basketball player, he was attracted to Syracuse because of its high-profile program. But Syracuse was far from home. And it was expensive. “I did well in school, but I was struggling,” he recalls. Elliott says the turning point came in his junior year, when he received an Our Time Has Come Scholarship. While the funds made an immediate impact in helping him meet the cost of attendance, the scholarship made an even more profound influence on his performance as a student. “The idea that I could receive a scholarship for academic performance was tremendous incentive for me to take school even more seriously,” he says. The fact that the scholarship had been funded by African American and Latino alumni was doubly impactful. “Knowing the struggle of earlier generations, if they were making the effort to invest in my future, the least I could do was perform well academically.” That he did. Elliott, who earned a bachelor’s degree in information management and technology, was awarded a CAPP Fellowship that fully funded a master’s degree in telecommunications and network management. After five years working in corporate America, he earned a law degree from the University of Maryland before returning to south Florida, where he forged a career as a college professor and dean. “I love academia,” he says. “I really owe it all to Syracuse and my OTHC Scholarship.” That was the goal when the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Fund was started back in 1987: to help young African American and Latino students achieve a Syracuse University education. Over 30 years, the program has had a profound effect, raising more than $5 million that has benefitted 1,170 students to date. The program was born out of conversations between former Program Development leaders Robert Hill and Evelyn Walker, and David Bing ’66, H’06. Hill and Walker believed that nobody understood the challenges of African American and Latino students at Syracuse University better than African American and Latino alumni. They wanted to tap into that experience to inspire alumni to support scholarships that would support and promote a diverse student body. Bing was recruited as the first campaign chair, a cause he was quick to commit to. As a student in the 1960s, Bing recalls being one of only about 100 African American students on campus. “Our social lives were really limited,” he says. “By starting this program and making it very public, I felt we could provide scholarship support to increase the numbers of students of color on campus.” Bing attended SU on a basketball scholarship, and many alumni through the years have received financial assistance in some form, whether academic or athletic scholarship or need-based awards. “Many of us received financial aid during our years at Syracuse, so we can appreciate the importance of scholarships. Now that we’re in the position to do so, I felt it was important to give back and help students of promise succeed,” Bing says. The first OTHC campaign raised $1.2 million by 1995, including seven endowed scholarships funded by Bing, Wayne K. Brown ’78, Frank Carmona ’78, and Leon O. Woods ’65, ’85, and by smaller gifts from numerous other alumni. A second five-year fund drive under the leadership of Larry Martin increased the total to $3.1 million and added named endowments from former SU Trustee Ragan Henry, Eleanor and Richard T. Johnson ’52; Lois and Martin J. Whitman ’49, H’08; and Corning Incorporated. Alex Rodríguez ’08 Subsequent endowments have been established by the Alpha Kappa Alpha, Iota Upsilon Chapter; the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble; the Class of 1974; Delta Sigma Theta; Gisele Marcus ’89; Homer L. Harrison; Keith Brown ’82 and Victor Holman ’82; Angela Y. Robinson ’78; the Syracuse 8; and an Endowed Scholarship in Public Communications. But it’s not just the big gifts that make a difference. Hundreds of alumni have made an impact through annual gifts to existing funds. “I don’t want alumni to think they have to make a large gift to make an impact,” says Rachel Vassel ’91, assistant vice president of Program Development, who has made fundraising for OTHC a top priority since taking the helm in November. “We’re looking for greater participation across the board at any level so that we can really grow this fund and help more scholars in larger ways.” “The cost of attending Syracuse University is significant,” she says. “I don’t want cost to be a deterrent for talented African American and Latino students to attend SU, especially when we have such a committed alumni body to draw from.” The greatest ambassadors for the fund are the OTHC scholars and alumni themselves. Isabel López Garrone ’05 Isabel López Garrone ’05 was a recipient of the Angela Y. Robinson ’78 Scholarship while an undergraduate at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. In addition to helping ease the financial burden for López’s mother, who put her daughter through college on her own, the scholarship provided the benefit of informal mentoring from Robinson, a successful Atlanta broadcaster. “Whenever Ms. Robinson was on campus, she would take the time to talk to me about the television industry and provided me with great insights and advice,” says López Garrone, who spent nine years at MSNBC as a primetime producer and is now a corporate communications manager at KPMG. Alex Rodríguez ’08 was a sophomore pre-med major when he was named an OTHC Scholar. “My family was going through some financial hardships and I’d had to take out additional loans, so it came at a particularly pivotal time,” he says. Today, Rodríguez is a third-year medical student at Upstate Medical University. In addition to helping alleviate financial stress for his family, the scholarship program provided a network to forge friendships with students of similar backgrounds and aspirations who helped keep him on track. “Some of the OTHC Scholars became my best friends at SU and after,” he says. Lindsay Woodson ’13 Lindsay Woodson ’13 was an undergraduate major in SU’s five-year architecture program when she was named an OTHC Scholar. While the funds helped her pay for costly art supplies, printing, and large plotting—additional expenses associated with the major—she says the scholarship also provided her much needed emotional support. “Defending creative work is a vulnerable position to be in for any young adult, but when African American females make up 0.2 percent of licensed architects, circumstances have a way of casting additional doubt,” she says. “Receiving an OTHC Scholarship confirmed to me that I must be doing something right.” It also gave her the confidence to apply to graduate school. Woodson recently completed a dual master’s degree in risk and resilience and urban planning at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and began a career as an urban planner in New York City. “I am very grateful for the fund and honored to have stood among other great scholars,” she says. Since OTHC was established in 1987, the SU cost of attendance has risen steadily, to $60,239 for 2016-17. While many students receive financial aid, most still face significant out-of-pocket expenses, often met by student loans. “With the ever increasing costs of secondary education, I believe it is paramount that individuals choose to continue learning while simultaneously avoiding the easily accessible and seemingly harmless student debt without understanding the impacts of recurring payments on future quality of life,” says former OTHC Scholar Chris Goldie ’13, who earned his engineering degree at SU and works for an energy consulting firm. “The OTHC Scholarship Fund alleviated much of this burden for me, and I am forever grateful.” While the scholarship fund has undoubtedly helped SU retain talented African American and Latino students, Bing says the challenge is greater than ever. Like any private university, “Syracuse is an expensive institution,” he says. “For many African Americans and Latinos in particular, without additional financial support as a mechanism, it is difficult for the University to increase these populations.” Vassel, who benefited from financial aid when she was an SU student, says she hopes alumni of color who were aided by any type of support will pay it forward to help current students once they are in a financial position to assist. “There are a lot of African American and Latino students who can benefit from the support of people like them who came before them,” she says. “We can’t get comfortable with the success we’ve had because the cost of education increases year after year,” adds Bing. “The need is still great. ” To make a gift to the OTHC Scholarship Fund, visit programdevelopment.syr.edu/ and click on the Give Now tab. \ Our Time Has Come Scholarship Program LIST OF DONORS Gifts received for Our Time Has Come as of March 15, 2017 Allman-Manning Vocal Music Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Rosalyn Y. Allman-Manning ’75 Alpha Kappa Alpha Iota Upsilon Chapter Alumnae Endowment Scholarship Fund Dr. A. Lynn Bolles ’71 Ms. Stephanie Marie Claytor ’10 Mr. Martin J. Davis ’05 and Mrs. Michelle C. Walker-Davis ’83, G’85 Ms. Tisha E. Davis ’86 Mrs. Donna P. Dixon ’77 Mrs. Linda E. Ellis ’83 Ms. Tina L. Eskridge ’95 Dr. Linda J. Fuller ’76 Mrs. Dorothy L. Goodwin G’61 Mrs. LaVerne H. Hanes-Stevens ’80 Mrs. Dale W. Hill ’81 Mr. William Hurley and Ms. Hazel Estwick-Hurley ’87 Mr. Don C. Vassel ’89 and Mrs. Rachel Vassel ’91 Mr. Jonathan Williams ’80 and Mrs. Michele Williams ’82 Mrs. Priscilla Tyree Williams ’86 Ms. Rachel A. Williams ’04 Alpha Phi Alpha Delta Zeta Scholarship Dr. Phillip D. Dunigan ’76 Mr. Geoffrey A. Johnson ’78, G’83 Mr. Philip E. Parker ’80 and Mrs. Tammy C. Parker ’84 Mr. Leonard Robbins ’95 and Mrs. Celia King-Robbins ’82 Mr. D. Stephen Spivey ’84 Angela Y. Robinson Endowed Scholarship Fund Mrs. Ayesha DeMond-Angell G’03 Class of ’74 Endowed Scholarship Fund Mrs. Susan Carter-Chavers ’74 Mr. Wesley C. Dias ’74 Mr. Leonard R. Garner Jr. ’74 Ms. Gwynne A. Wilcox ’74 Delta Beta Executive Alumni Foundation Fund Mr. A. Maurice Etheredge ’85 Mr. Reginald A. Raymond ’94 Mr. Cletis B. Smith ’84 in honor of Phil F. Romain ’85 Delta Sigma Theta Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Jeanine H. Arnett ’99 Miss Yolanda Roset Arrington ’00 Miss Candice L. Carnage ’90 Ms. Elizabeth Famodimu ’07, G’08 Ms. Monique J. Fortune ’82 Mr. Rufus E. Jones ’75 and Mrs. Laraine Bennett Jones ’75 Mrs. Gilda H. Lambert ’69, G’70 in memory of Dr. Lynn F. Jemmott ’69 Graduate Black or Hispanic Endowed Scholarship/Grant Fund Mrs. Ayesha DeMond-Angell G’03 Helena Mitchell Scholarship Fund Mr. Anthony J. Bennia ’73, G’75 and Ms. Cherie Lindsay Bennia Hispanic/Black Undergraduate Scholarship Gift Ms. Victoria J. Rideout ’86 Homer L. Harrison Endowed Scholarship Fund Anonymous Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Scholarship The Hon. Ronald A. Wilson ’92 Latino Alumni Network of Syracuse University (LANSU) Endowed Scholarship Fund Ms. Rosie A. Garcia ’09 Dean Bea Gonzalez G’04 Program Development Gifts Mr. Lorenzo Rhames ’89 Mr. Ronald James-Terry Taylor ’15, G’16 Mr. Gregory J. Wilson ’80 Syracuse 8 Scholarship Endowed Fund Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Jackson Sr. Ms. Kisha B. Turpin ’97 Mr. Charles H. Woods Jr. ’72 Ms. Wainie D. Youn ’07 The Alumni Group of the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble Living Legacy Fund Mrs. LaVerne H. Hanes-Stevens ’80 Mr. Barry Wells and Mrs. Claudette P. McGowan-Wells G’80 Mrs. Phyllis Raynor Surrett ’82 Undergraduate Black or Hispanic Endowed Scholarship for Engineering Mr. Marcus G. Arrington ’94 Mr. Cedric P. Taylor ’84 Undergraduate Black or Hispanic Endowed Scholarship in Public Communications Mr. Arthur J. Baker Jr ’96 Mrs. Ayesha DeMond-Angell G’03 Mr. Bernard J. Tarver ’82 Undergraduate Black or Hispanic Endowed Scholarship/Grant Ms. Tanya C. Beer G’02, G’04 Ms. Deirdre L. Poe-Sanders ’85 Miss Raymi V. Ramseur ’88 Ms. Kisha B. Turpin ’97 Undergraduate Black-Hispanic Endowed Scholarship Fund Ms. Aliah Yvonne Abdul-Malik ’17 Ms. Ada L. Agrait ’94 Mr. Marcus G. Arrington ’94 Mr. L. Kelly Atkinson Jr. ’79 Mr. Laurentz Baker Ms. Nyasha Boldon ’11, G’14 in honor of Dr. Nancy Cantor Ms. Shaundala J. Brown L’15 Miss Karin Y. Carter ’84 Mr. James T. Christensen ’74, G’79 and Mrs. Karen R. Christensen Ms. Lee A. Christensen ’17 Mrs. Cassandra Jackson Claboine ’85 Mr. David L. Clark ’75, G’77 and Mrs. Stanlyn R. Clark G’76 Richard M. Cohlan, Esq. Mrs. Roberta J. Cohlan Mr. Kyle A. Coleman ’10 Mr. William E. Collier ’99 Dr. Llewellyn J. Cornelius ’82 Ms. Jewel S. Cowart G’06 Mr. Mark C. Darrell ’79 and Mrs. Vivian A. Darrell ’80 Mr. Malcolm-Ali Davis ’18 Miss Gayle A. Dennis ’58 Keith Thomas Downing, M.D., M.P.A. ’97, G’98 and Ms. Gabrielle Page-Wilson Ms. Ashlee Shanelle Dume ’16 Mrs. Tara A. Favors ’95 Dr. Charles K. Flack G’88 Ms. Michele S. Frank ’89 Ms. Melanie C. Franklin ’10 Mrs. Monique V. Frost Mr. Archie L. Gilchrist ’75, G’76 Dean Bea Gonzalez G’04 Ms. Elashier L. Hall ’13 Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt Holman in honor of Lt. Col. Victor Holman Mr. Charles A. Houston Jr. ’90 and Mrs. Monica Edwards Houston ’90, ’91 Ms. Valerie E. Jack ’83 Mr. Jason A. Jackson ’05 Mr. Michael C. James ’94 Ms. Jordan Michelle Jennings ’17 Col. Casper P. Jones III, USA Ret. G’89 Mr. Demetrise B. Jordan-Downs ’99 Mrs. Gilda H. Lambert ’69, G’70 in memory of Dr. Lynn F. Jemmott ’69 Miss Angela Lawrie ’90 Ms. Janice V. Long ’87 Mr. Haywood E. McDuffie and Ms. Sharon R. Barner ’79 Ms. Blair Courtney McQueen ’20 Ms. Carla Miller-James Ms. Saphyir Moody ’17 Mr. Freddy Morales ’97 Mr. Anwar K. Nasir ’06 Ms. Rukayat A. Oloko ’15 Ms. Nicole Osborne ’14 Mr. Kwame N. Phipps ’16 Mr. David B. Porter G’99 and Ms. Elizabeth A. Moore Mrs. Shamieka T. Preston ’97 Mr. Oliver B. Quinn ’72 Miss Raymi V. Ramseur ’88 Mr. Evin Floyd Robinson ’12, G’14 Mr. Paul E. Rowe ’80 Mr. Larry S. Sampson ’69 Dr. Peter C. Scales ’71,G’73, ’76 and Mrs. Martha Roper Scales Mr. Charles W. Stevens ’92 and Dr. Jennifer Greene Stevens Ms. Charlotte Stevens Ms. Phaedra Rice Stewart ’91 Mrs. Constance H. Studgeon ’74 Mr. Victor Manuel Suarez ’15 Mr. and Mrs. Rey Sully G’10 Mr. Christian T. Symonds ’01 Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Tamsen ’04 Mr. Cedric P. Taylor ’84 Mr. Kwabena Twum Tettey ’17 Ms. Imani Wallace ’16 Ms. Karin L. Wilkinson G’88 Mr. Charles J. Willis Jr. ’90 Mr. Kyle Witman and Ms. Maria E. Guarrera Ms. Ann-Marie Woodham Dr. and Mrs. Omar Woodham G’10 Ms. Wainie D. Youn ’07 \ “Your gracious donations have allowed me to shine. I am one of many students that have been given a chance through Our Time Has Come, and through that chance I am a part of your legacy.” —Anthony Herbert, OTHC Scholar, Class of 2015 GIVE YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFT TODAY! If you haven’t made a donation to the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Fund, please make your tax-deductible gift today. 100 percent of your gift will benefit a deserving student of color in need and no amount is too small. To become an OTHC donor, visit programdevelopment.syr.edu We thank you for your ongoing support. Welcome Mark Jackson Mark Jackson Mark Jackson has been appointed the new executive director of Program Development in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs. Jackson, who was administrator of business and human resources for District 4 of the Ohio Department of Transportation, began in his new role in November. In the Office of Program Development, Jackson is responsible for operational excellence and fostering partnerships between the office and campus and civic constituencies. His key areas of focus will include budget management; process improvements; documentation and training, particularly as it relates to the Coming Back Together black and Latino alumni reunions; the administration of the Our Time Has Come endowed scholarship funds; fundraising campaigns and technologies; and volunteer management for targeted events. Jackson will also work to develop new corporate and foundation relationships in an effort to secure corporate sponsorships that enhance and grow office strategies and initiatives. “I am thrilled to have such a seasoned professional as our new executive director,” says Rachel Vassel, assistant vice president of Program Development. “Mark’s experience in budget oversight, process management, and system integration will help us increase our effectiveness as an office. He is also a strategic thinker who will uncover and analyze key partnership opportunities that will allow us to further promote black and Latino alumni and student success, engagement, and giving.” In his role with the Ohio Department of Transportation, Jackson had oversight of district finance, information technology, facilities management, and human resources operations. He oversaw a successful implementation upgrade from a 35-year-old paper- based payroll system to an automated, technology-based system; oversaw an upgrade of the agency’s $55 million annual budget from a conventional historical process to a zero-based budget; and managed a successful interdepartmental collaboration that provided effective tracking of employee attendance, disability, and workers’ compensation. Jackson says he’s eager to serve diverse SU alumni in his new role. “I am excited to lend my skills and experiences to further the important work of the Office of Program Development,” Jackson says. “The talents and deep connections among SU’s alumni of color are incredibly important to the University and to our students, so I look forward to supporting and building programs and initiatives that will keep them engaged.” Jackson also previously served as compliance and public education officer for the Summit County Board of Elections in Akron, Ohio. In that role, he developed a communications strategy for all key messages for elections, trained more than 1,000 poll workers annually, oversaw county-wide implementation of electronic voting machines, and maintained partnerships with more than 225 polling sites. Jackson attended Brown University before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in management from Malone College. Orange runs in Jackson’s family; he is the proud father of Jasmine Jackson ’08. \ STUDENTspotlight: Yvette Asumeng ’18 Yvette Asumeng ’18 As a student at the Syracuse University- affiliated High School for Leadership and Public Service in New York City, Yvette Asumeng ’18 said she felt as though she was destined for SU. She was mentored by SU students, who encouraged her to attend the Summer College program between junior and senior year of high school. They helped with her admissions application, and she interviewed with Lonnie Morrison, SU’s director of Metropolitan New York admissions, right at her school. “I felt like it was meant to be,” she says of her acceptance. A month after her arrival on campus in 2014, Asumeng received more good news: She’d been named an Our Time Has Come Scholar, receiving both the Lee Poindexter Anthon Scholarship and the Leon O. Woods Scholarship. A first-generation college student, and first-generation American (her mother hails from Ghana), Asumeng is grateful for the support. “It’s a big deal,” she says of attending college. In addition to her scholarships, Asumeng works part time as a receptionist at the Office of Supportive Services. Asumeng has a clear view of her future. Her high school experience instilled an interest in public policy. She is studying public health at SU’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and plans to pursue graduate school to become a health policy analyst. In the meantime, she practices her policymaking skills as the Falk College representative to the Student Association, where she is mostly concerned about issues related to student life and wellness. She also volunteers as a homework tutor for Syracuse city elementary and middle school students at the Wilson Park Center. She got involved as community service component for a class her freshman year. “I grew so attached to the kids and the community there that I am still volunteering today, three years later,” she says, an involvement she continues through the student organization ’Cuse Spot. “To be a part of a community that allows me to have a hand in their growth is gratifying.” Asumeng says she feels the same about the community SU provides both on campus and beyond. At CBT her freshman year, she had the opportunity to meet the benefactor of one of her scholarships, Lee Anthon ’56 “It was very meaningful,” says Asumeng, who grew up in the Bronx. “She is also from New York City and took a real interest in who I was, what I want to do, and how I was going to do it. She made it very personal.” \ Avery Callahan Jr. ’19 Avery Callahan Jr. ’19 As a bioengineering student, Avery Callahan Jr. ’19 hopes to have a career developing prosthetic limbs or artificial organs. “I’ve always had a strong interest in medicine and anatomy but didn’t necessarily want to be a doctor,” he says. “I’m good at math and science and decided that was a good fit for engineering.” A Philadelphia native, Callahan attended the prestigious Haverford School through A Better Chance, a program that supports high-achieving students of color attending leading day and boarding schools. The adjustment to the all-male, predominantly white school wasn’t the easiest socially, but Callahan found refuge through active involvement in the school’s Diversity Alliance. “It was a group that provided support for students of color and gay and bisexual students,” he explains. “We got together once a week to just talk and also held events to raise awareness within the school community about issues related to race and gender.” He also played basketball and was a member of school track team, which won the state championship his senior year. Callahan initially visited Syracuse as part of an A Better Chance college tour and, when he later researched engineering programs, realized it had everything he was looking for. His transition to college was made easier due to the Summer Start program and the WellsLink Program, developed to help first-year students of color adjust to college life. “My freshman year, I was given a peer leader who gave me tips about campus life based on her own experiences—where to eat, good places to study, where to get extra help,” Callahan explains. “If I ever needed anything, I always went to her first because she gave me good advice and I trusted her.” The experience was so beneficial that Callahan signed on to be a peer leader himself this year, helping seven new students through their first-year experience. “First semester I watched over them a little more closely because they were still getting acclimated,” he says. “Now I’ve given them more space and just check in every few weeks to make sure things are still going fine.” Callahan is the recipient of a Donofrio Scholarship from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and is a member of the Excelerators, a student ambassador organization that represents the college to guests and visitors. He says he’s grateful to the support he receives from the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Fund, something he was notified of just days before his first semester at Syracuse. “As excited as I was about school, my mom and I were stressing about finances,” says Callahan, who receives support as both a Corning Scholar and the Ruby Helen Henry and Marion A. Goodwin Scholar. “Getting the scholarship allowed me to focus less on how I was going to get my education and focus more on just getting my education.” \ José González ’17 José González ’17 José González ’17 is not only the first student in his family to attend college, but he hopes to become the first college professor as well. “I plan to go to graduate school and have a career in academia doing research and teaching,” he says. González is majoring in cultural anthropology. His interests thus far have focused on the indigenous people of Latin America and their migration. Anthropology, he says, combines his interests in history and his strong connection to his Mexican heritage. A native of San Diego, González learned about Syracuse University through participation in Reality Changers, a San Diego program for under-represented, prospective first-generation college students. “They provided a lot counseling and information that a lot of us just wouldn’t know,” he says. Because of his interest in anthropology, his advisor suggested applying to schools with a humanities focus. Syracuse was one of them. After his acceptance, González received an invitation to apply for a Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs-sponsored Citizenship scholarship, requiring him to write an essay about a public policy. His essay, about his Reality Changers experience and how he would try to implement the program on a widespread basis, was selected as a finalist, and González received an expenses-paid trip to campus to interview. “It was my first time on the East Coast, and I just fell in love with the campus,” he recalls. “I knew it was the one.” He has not been disappointed. From his Introductory to Cultural Anthropology class with Maxwell Professor Deborah Pellow, González knew he’d found his passion. He spent spring semester of his junior year studying in Chile. Outside of class, González is a member of Phi Iota Alpha fraternity, which focuses on community service and promoting Latino culture. He is also actively involved with the Alibrandi Catholic Center and this year serves as a work-study intern there. “Being part of the Catholic community is very important to me,” he says. Despite a generous financial aid package, González says he and his parents still had to come up with a couple of thousand dollars each semester. He is thankful not to have to worry about that this year, due to an Our Time Has Come Scholarship that fills the gap. “It was an unexpected blessing, really,” he says. “My brother is a senior in high school waiting for his college acceptances, so now my parents can focus on him.” González is proud to have paved the way. “Being the first, it means a lot to my whole family,” he says. “My brother follows in my footsteps, but all my older relatives who didn’t have the opportunity, they’re all just really proud of what I’ve done and what I hope to go on to do.” \ Tatiana Hernández-Mitchell ’20 Tatiana Hernández-Mitchell ’20 had only been on campus for a week or so when she received a letter notifying her that she’d been named an Our Time Has Come Scholar. “I called my mom and we were freaking out, we were so excited,” she recalls. “Receiving the scholarship just cemented the feeling that Syracuse was the place I was meant to be.” Hernández-Mitchell, a first-year student from Hackensack, New Jersey, was attracted to Syracuse University for its major in forensic science. After attending a Syracuse Saturday program during the fall of her senior year in high school, she applied early decision. At SU, she is a double major in psychology and forensic science with eventual plans to pursue graduate school in either forensic psychology or forensic sciences. Although she admits to being nervous about the transition to college, Hernández- Mitchell says she’s hit the ground running. She took Introduction to Psychology first semester and did well, prompting her to take two psychology classes this semester, Personality and Child Psychology. “They go hand in hand with each other,” she says. “Everything is really falling into place.” She credits her smooth transition in large part to the mentorship support she has received through SU’s Dimensions program. Dimensions pairs first-year students of color with upperclasswomen of similar Tatiana Hernández-Mitchell ’20 backgrounds, who provide mentorship on academics and social issues. Hernández- Mitchell heard about the program at a send-off event at Lubin House for Latino and African American first-year students. “They spoke about all the multicultural groups on campus, and that one really stuck with me, so I applied,” she says. Hernández-Mitchell was paired with Angelina Vargas ’17, who like her, has a Dominican background and is studying psychology. In her first semester, Hernández-Mitchell received guidance on getting involved on campus and in the Syracuse community, and within the psychology department. “She’s just really supportive in asking me about how school is going and offering helpful advice,” she says. Hernández-Mitchell hopes to pay that forward through involvement in Straighten Your Crown, an organization that provides mentorship on female empowerment to elementary and middle school girls in the City of Syracuse. She learned about the group through Dimensions. “I want to volunteer in the community and think I can be a positive role model to girls from a similar background,” she says. She’s used to it. The oldest of five children, Hernández-Mitchell is the first to go to college. “My sisters and brother look up to me a lot,” she says. She’s worked hard to aim high. In high school, Hernández-Mitchell played basketball and volleyball and was class representative to the Student Government Association. At Syracuse, she’s found a group of women to play basketball with regularly at Archbold Gymnasium and hopes to expand her involvement on campus as her college career progresses. “I love the diversity here,” she says. “The students in my dorm are from all sorts of cultures, and there are a lot of multicultural organizations on campus. It’s easy to find your community.” \ Alexus Martin ’18 Alexus Martin ’18 When people find out Alexus Martin ’18 is a Syracuse native, they usually respond the same way: “Oh my gosh, why didn’t you go somewhere else?” But for Martin, Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications was a big draw. “There was no reason to go elsewhere when the best school was here,” she says. As a high school student at nearby Manlius Pebble Hill, Martin was involved in the student newspaper, an activity that took her to the Newhouse School for various journalism-related events. It was her high school newspaper advisor who encouraged her to apply to SU. She hasn’t been disappointed. An advertising major with a sociology minor, Martin has interned at the Central New York Community Foundation and at Eric Mower and Associates, experiences that confirmed she had chosen the right career path for her. Martin lives at home, commuting to SU for class. She also has a part-time job working at a local doctor’s office and volunteers in the community. “I take a full load of five classes a semester and most of my time is spent on my coursework or working,” she says. Martin was named an Our Time Has Come Scholar at the beginning of her sophomore year. “The scholarship allowed me to reduce the amount of loans I’ve had to take out. The thought of paying back so many loans is overwhelming, so having the scholarship has definitely alleviated some of that anxiety,” she says. “I’m grateful for the support.” In addition to the financial assistance, Martin enjoys the networking opportunities being part of the Our Time Has Come community provides. “We get emails about all kinds of events and opportunities,” she says. “I volunteered at Orange Central and even though my exchanges with alumni were brief, it was really meaningful to see all the people who came back.” Martin’s professional interests center on consumer insights and strategic planning. She isn’t quite sure whether she wants to work in an ad agency or a nonprofit but is open to exploring all opportunities. “I’d even stay in Syracuse for a few years to get a started,” she says. “I feel like I’ve developed a good professional network here through my internships.” \ If you would like to support students like Alexus, Avery, José, Tatiana, and Yvette reach their potential, please visit programdevelopment.syr.edu Cueva Funds Orange Grove Landmark Honoring SU’s Latino Greeks Image: Zhamyr “Sammy” Cueva ’93 on campus with childhood mentor Doug Friedman ’56 Last November, the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) unveiled a bench on the Orange Grove with plaques honoring its nine member organizations and history on the SU campus dating back to 1930. At CBT 2017, a similar bench will be dedicated to honor Syracuse’s nine Latino Greek organizations that are members of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO). The effort to create a landmark recognizing the presence of Latino students on campus was spearheaded by Zhamyr “Sammy” Cueva ’93, a founding member of SU’s first Latino fraternity, Lambda Upsilon Lambda. A New York City native, Cueva recently returned to campus with the man who inspired him to attend Syracuse University. Milton Douglas Friedman ’56 had adopted Cueva’s cousins and through the years became like an uncle to him and his siblings. Friedman, who studied business at SU but later became a teacher, spoke casually about his SU experience and, without realizing it, influenced Cueva’s college choice. Cueva, whose parents are from Ecuador, earned his undergraduate degree in economics and international relations, then went on to earn a master’s in public administration from Columbia University. He now manages the MetroCard fraud unit for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and owns several successful businesses, including Blend restaurants, a chain of Latin American restaurants in New York City. Friedman had never been back to campus since his graduation, so 60 years later, Cueva rectified that with a visit to the Carrier Dome and a campus tour. On their tour, Cueva admired the new NPC monument but was disappointed not to see anything representing the Latin community. “Latino students have made many contributions to SU over the years, and I wanted to see our presence recognized,” he says. Cueva was one of six students who founded the Theta chapter of Lambda Upsilon Lambda in 1991. The next year, with their support and encouragement, six female friends founded the Eta chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon, the first Latina sorority. “Over the years, a beautiful thing happened on campus; more and more Latino students got involved and the number of organizations grew,” he says. After speaking with his fraternity brother Jesse Mejia ’97, Cueva decided to fund a similar landmark himself. “Rather than having these organizations try to fundraise for plaques, hopefully my contribution can shift their focus to fundraise for scholarships so that more Latino students can graduate and contribute to the SU community,” he says. Cueva says his intention is not only to instill pride among members of these organizations but also to inspire prospective Latino students who visit campus. “I want students of Latino descent to see something they can relate to and know that Syracuse is a good place for them to continue their education,” he says. \ CAMPUSnews: Coming Back Together Student Co-Chairs Selected Planning for the Office of Program Development’s Coming Back Together (CBT) 2017 reunion is well underway. As anyone who has attended past reunions will tell you, the preparation involved is significant because it includes multiple offices, schools and colleges, and partners across campus, not to mention the numerous volunteers who are vital to a successful multi-day program. There is, however, a more recent role added to the lead-up to the reunion, and that is the participation of two Our Time Has Come Scholars (OTHC) as CBT student co-chairs. This year, Malcolm-Ali Davis ’18 Malcolm-Ali Davis ’18 and Leslie Sánchez ’18 Leslie Sánchez ’18 have been selected as student ambassadors. “I have so many great memories of attending CBT as a child, and it was just this magical event that I always wanted to be a part of, so to now have that opportunity to be a student co-chair and help out with CBT—it’s very special to me,” says Davis. Davis is an information management and technology major in the School of Information Studies and is the most senior chair of the University Conduct Board. He is also a member of the Student Affairs Advisory Board, Student Philanthropy Council, a peer advisor for the School of Information Studies, and the tennis captain for ’Cuse Crew. “One of the main reasons I wanted to take this role is because my generation of students lacks knowledge about what CBT is, and how important it is for our community,” says Davis. “The reunion is a great occasion for current students to network with Syracuse alumni,” says Sánchez. A student manager for the women’s basketball program, part of the women’s basketball club, and member of the IT Girls organization, Sánchez is an information management and technology major in the School of Information Studies, minoring in finance. Sánchez says she knew very little about CBT when she was a freshman. “I was present for the last CBT as a freshman and performed with a dance group called Citrus Sweethearts, but I didn’t know much more about it. My former dance teammates didn’t know much either, which is unfortunate because it was a great opportunity that we let pass by.” So too has the Office of Program Development seen the need to build awareness among the student population about the reunion and all that it offers current students, one reason why student co-chairs are selected to serve as CBT ambassadors to their peers. The co-chairs will assist the office by talking with other students, speaking at the meetings of student organizations, as well as arranging one-on- one conversations with student leaders across campus. “As the Office of Program Development often states, CBT was the first reunion of its kind in the country, and we are indebted to the visionaries that thought to start it and those that have fought to keep it going,” says Davis. “At a time when physical interactions are on the decline due to social media, mobile devices, etcetera, I think it’s pertinent to get the current students to ‘buy in’ to CBT while they are still here, because that makes it a lot easier to get them to come back after they’ve left the university.” “We are so excited that Leslie and Malcolm agreed to be our student co-chairs for this CBT reunion,” says Angela Morales- Patterson, assistant director of alumni and donor engagement for the Office of Program Development. “This is only the second reunion where we have included students in the early stages of our marketing and promotion of the event. Both of our co-chairs were being modest, because it is an honor in itself to be an OTHC Scholar and a requirement to even be considered as a CBT co-chair.” OTHC Scholars come from across the country and their majors span campus. This select group of students of color have an average GPA of 3.6 and, as part of their scholarship, they commit to volunteering on campus and in the Syracuse community. “When you are an Our Time Has Come Scholar, you know you are in good company because of the standard of excellence that was set by previous scholars, and the donors that make it all possible,” says Davis. “Historically, many students from African American and Latino communities lack in opportunities and resources that can prevent us from reaching our full potential, which acts as a barrier to success,” says Sánchez. “This is why the Our Time Has Come Scholarship is a great opportunity for our community.” “Definitely apply,” says Davis as an urgent message to current Latino and African American students. “To me, the Our Time Has Come Scholarship means achievement, excellence, and community. It is a wonderful program that connects you to like-minded individuals at Syracuse University and distinguished black and Latino alumni. It’s an opportunity you do not want to miss out on!” Coming Back Together 2017 takes place September 14-17, so go ahead and register today, even if you are a current student. \ MacDonald and Mayes Honored as Trailblazers As part of Syracuse University’s annual Black History Month observance, the Office of Program Development and Office of Multicultural Affairs presented the Trailblazer Award to two faculty members prominent in their respective fields. This year’s honorees were David MacDonald David MacDonald, professor emeritus of ceramics in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and JJanis Mayes anis Mayes, associate professor of African American Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. “We are pleased to recognize and celebrate the many contributions Janis and David have made to the Syracuse University community, especially their contributions to the arts and to the many students who have been influenced and impacted by their teaching,” says Angela Morales-Patterson, assistant director of alumni and donor engagement in the Office of Program Development. MacDonald’s artistic works are heavily inspired by his investigation of his African heritage and the surface decoration seen in the many ethnic groups of sub-Saharan Africa. His work is in the permanent collections of the Studio Museum in Harlem, Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey, and the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. MacDonald was also co-founder of the Community Folk Art Center. Mayes’ research and teaching focus on African and diaspora literatures in French and English languages, international black women’s writing, and literary translation practice and studies. She is the director and creator of Paris Noir, a joint program of the College of Arts and Sciences and SU Abroad, which takes students to Paris to explore the influence of black culture and literature. The Trailblazer Awards were presented at the Black Lounge Celebration and Dinner on February 11. The Lounge is a signature event of Black History Month, celebrating black music, art, and culture. \ Our Supporters Make First-Ever Online Campaign a Success In December, the Office of Program Development looked to Facebook to create and launch a digital ad campaign to reach the department’s audience in a space they frequent. Five Our Time Has Come (OTHC) Scholars were featured in short video clips for the campaign. In each, they share the importance and effect the scholarship had on their lives and the opportunities it provides. One is a first-generation college student, while others are able to focus on doing well in class without worrying about finances, striving to be a forensic scientist, work in bioengineering, or advertising. By all measures, the campaign was a success. It generated $23,029 and thousands of video views. While this particular campaign may be over, it is never too late to support students of color like the OTHC Scholars. \ Shades of Orange Program Development Launches Shades of Orange E-Newsletter In an effort to stay in touch between issues of the Syracuse Manuscript, the Office of Program Development has launched Shades of Orange, an e-newsletter that will be sent to alumni via email three times a year and will also be accessible and archived on the Program Development website, under the News tab. “During my travels around the country to meet alumni, a consistent request was for more communication pertinent to our community of color,” says Rachel Vassel ’91, assistant vice president of Program Development. “Our alumni are very interested in success stories of our own black and Latino alumni and students. This newsletter is another venue to provide content to touch and inspire.” If you haven’t received Shades of Orange, please update your email address at pdevelop@syr.edu. \ SU Protests Immigration Policies Photo of Protestors Syracuse University students quickly took a stand on President Donald Trump’s first immigration ban: They strongly oppose it. SU students made a strong showing among the 1,000 protesters who gathered at Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport on the evening of January 29 for a peaceful demonstration opposing Trump’s executive order banning immigration from seven majority Muslim countries. Four days later, hundreds of students and faculty held a similar protest on campus. It wasn’t the first one. In the wake of the election, students scheduled a “walk-out” at 3 p.m. November 16, leaving classrooms and dormitories to gather on campus and declare Syracuse University and neighboring SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry a “sanctuary campus.” Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud has issued a statement condemning President Trump’s executive order: “To be clear, this University simply cannot support or abide by any policy that discriminates against, or makes a preference for, one person over the other based on religion, national origin, or other inherent characteristics. Any such policy is wrong and antithetical to the Constitution of the United States of America and the values of this University.” Approximately 50 SU students, including 30 graduate students from Iran, have been advised by University officials not to travel internationally because they may not be allowed to return to the United States. \ Alexis Peterson ’17 playing in a basketball game. Alexis Peterson ’17 Peterson Rewrites SU History Books When Syracuse basketball player Alexis Peterson ’17 was named the 2017 Blue Ribbon Panel Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, she became the first player in Syracuse women’s basketball history to earn conference player of the year honors. But it’s not the only accolade the 5-foot-7 point guard has racked up. She became the fourth player in Syracuse women’s basketball history to earn All-American honors when she was named an espnW All-America Honorable Mention and the third SU woman named an Associated Press All-American when she was voted onto the second team. As of mid-March, Peterson was one of five finalists for the 2017 Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation’s top point guard in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. She’s also on the watch lists for the Naismith Trophy and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, is a finalist for the Dawn Staley Award, and on the national ballot for the John R. Wooden Award. In addition, she collected all-conference accolades for the third straight year and was named to the 2017 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-Region 1 Team. “She’s one of the top three point guards in the country,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said back in October. Clearly, Peterson lived up to that hype. During the 2016-17 season, Peterson averaged 23.4 points (up from 16 last year), 7.1 assists, and 3 steals per game, leading the conference in scoring and second in assists and steals. She set a program record with four ACC Player of the Week honors. Peterson also set the SU single-season scoring record with 721 points. In addition, she set the Orange single-game record for most points scored by an individual, male or female, in the history of the Carrier Dome with her 45 points in an 85-75 victory against North Carolina State on January 12. “That’s a huge honor,’’ Peterson said of the points record. “There’s been some great players here at Syracuse. So, to be mentioned among those top players is something I’ll appreciate forever.” At of the end of the season, Peterson ranked second in program history with 1,978 career points, first in assists with 590 helpers, second in program history with a 14.6 scoring average for her collegiate career, second in Syracuse history with 657 career field goals, and second in Syracuse history with 435 career free throws made. She is one of only two active players nationwide with at least 1,900 points scored and 500 assists The Columbus, Ohio, native, who majors in child and family studies, was a four-star recruit out of high school, ranked the No. 92 player in the Class of 2013 by espnW HoopGurlz. “I remember when we first started to recruit her and I sat in her home in the home visit,” recalls Hillsman. “I told her she had the chance to be one of the best point guards that ever played here. I think when you are recruiting a player, they see it more as a recruiting pitch, but I really meant that because I saw her ability.” \ Alexis Peterson ’17 IN MEMORIAM Folarin Abryn Felix ’94 Folarin Felix ’94 Folarin Abryn Felix ’94, of New York City, died August 25, 2016, after a heart attack. Felix came to Syracuse University after graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School in Brooklyn, New York, in 1989. Although he earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing, he had a long career as a compensation analyst, most recently at Marsh and McLennan Companies. Friends describe Felix as a very warm-spirited person with a genuine heart who would give you his last dime. “When you’re in his presence, you can’t help yourself but smile, says Zhamyr “Sammy” Cueva ’93, who had the pleasure of having Felix as a roommate in his first year at Syracuse. “Although I didn’t have anyone from my high school that came up with me, Folarin had a lot of friends on campus, and he made sure to introduce me and make me fit in. His kindness was everlasting to whomever had the pleasure of knowing him.” \ Dawn Hill ’78 Dawn Hill ’78 Dawn Hill ’78, of New York City, died on December 1, 2016. Born and raised in Albany, New York, Hill graduated from Kenwood Academy before coming to Syracuse University. At SU, she was a member of the Alpha Angels and majored in political science. She spent spring semester of her junior year studying abroad in Florence. After graduation, Hill moved to New York City, working first as a sales and marketing associate for Columbia Pictures and then for Continental Cable (which became Comcast). Later, she started Omega Marketing, representing authors, athletes, and others until her health became her priority. She was an active member of Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem, serving as president of the congregation. “Dawn was a woman of strong faith and I have no doubt that she’s found her God,” says Angela Y. Robinson ’78, whose friendship with Hill was forged during their first year at Syracuse. Indeed, Hill maintained lifelong friendships with a group of eight women who met during their first week at SU, calling themselves the “Shaw Girls” after the residence hall most of them lived in. The group convened at CBT reunions and many traveled with Hill to CBT South Africa. “Dawn was the glue that held us all together. Each of us thought she was our best friend; I knew she was mine,” says Pamela Davidson-Cunningham ’77. “I always knew what the others were doing (marriage, kids, life issues) since Dawn made it her duty to keep in touch.” “Dawn was classy, sassy, smart, tough, cool, fun, and funny,” adds Dawne Morgan ’78. “She had a smile that could light up a room. Anyone meeting Dawn for the first time would feel a connection to her.” Angela Morales-Patterson, assistant director, alumni and donor engagement for Program Development, fondly remembers the fun Hill and her friends brought with them to events. “Dawn was on my bus in South Africa. She referred to her to herself as ’Dawn Night’ and Dawne Morgan was ’Dawn Day.’ What a wonderful person she was.” Hill is survived by her mother, Mable J. Plowden; sisters Annette Simon and Roseann Plowden; stepsister Audrey Veney; and many other relatives and friends. \ Fab Melo ’14 Fab Melo ’14 Fabricio “Fab” Melo ’14, of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, died February 11. Melo played two seasons for the Syracuse men’s basketball team and was part of the Orange team that went 34-3 and 17-1 in the Big East in 2012. He left SU after an NCAA investigation found him academically ineligible and was a first-round pick by the Boston Celtics in 2012, but spent most of his time in the NBA Development League. After his rookie season, he returned to Brazil, where he had been playing professionally. “He worked his tail off to become a good player and was a nice kid,” says former coach Jim Boeheim. Melo reportedly died in his sleep of natural causes. \ Renate M. Simson, ’56, Ph.D. ’74 Renate M. Simson, ’56, Ph.D. ’74 Renate M. Simson ’56, Ph.D. ’74, of Fayetteville, New York, a long-time faculty member in SU’s Department of African American Studies (AAS), professor emerita at SUNY Morrisville, and scholar and teacher of 19th-century African American literature, died February 19. Simson joined the SU faculty from SUNY Morrisville in 1979. At the time, African American studies was being transitioned from a stand-alone program to a department, a transformation she played an integral role in. Simson helped create the 13-Point Document, a set of bylaws that helped the department grow in faculty size, attract esteemed scholars to campus, and create a master’s degree program in Pan African studies. Simson served as chair of AAS from 2010-13 and from July to December 2016. “Professor Simson played a key role in building the Department of African American Studies into the renowned department it is today,” says Karin Ruhlandt, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The impact she had on scholarship and teaching, and on her students and colleagues, will long be felt in the department, the college, and at Syracuse University.” Simson’s scholarship included the publication of more than 30 articles and chapters, and more than 50 presentations at conferences throughout the country and in Austria, where she was born. In 2008, she published Will the Real America Please Stand Up?, a book based on her research on inequalities in New York State public schools. A passionate teacher, her course AAS 231 African American Literature to 1900: An Introduction was always filled to capacity. “Professor Simson was dedicated to AAS, her students, and the subjects of African American literature, education, and critical social justice,” says Herb Ruffin II, associate professor and chair of AAS. She is survived by her children, Thomas A. Simson of Syracuse and Bonnie M. Simson of Manlius; and two grandchildren. Contributions in her memory may be made to Syracuse University’s Department of African American Studies, 200 Sims Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244. \ CBT COMING BACK TOGETHER Syracuse University African American and Latino Alumni Reunion September 14-17, 2017 Screen shot of mail-in registration form. Email pdevelop@syr.edu or call 866.706.1372 for assistance. Call for Artists CBT Alumni Exhibtion SUBMIT BY JUNE 1, 2017 Community Folk Art Center logo CBT COMING BACK TOGETHER logo Submission should be sent to: communityfolkartcenter@gmail.com Artists should submit 3 to 5 images, short biography or 1-page resume, and artist statement. COMMUNITY FOLK ART CENTER 805 E. Genesee Street Syracuse, NY 13210 315.442.2230 www.communityfolkartcenter.org Manuscript SYRACUSE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY’S AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO ALUMNI MAGAZINE Office of Program Development Syracuse University 900 South Crouse Ave 420 Crouse-Hinds Hall Syracuse NY 13244-5040 CBT COMING BACK TOGETHER logo Syracuse University African American and Latino Alumni Reunion September 14-17, 2017 For information regarding CBT, please contact: Rachel Vassel, assistant vice president, program development, revassel@syr.edu, Mark Jackson, executive director, program development, mjacks09@syr.edu Angela Morales-Patterson, assistant director, alumni and donor engagement, aamorale@syr.edu, or Susan Blanca, administrative specialist, scblanca@syr.edu. programdevelopment.syr.edu