<div dir="ltr"><p>Dear Campus Community,</p><p>I am proud to share news from SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announcing the newest class of recipients in the SUNY/Office of Mental Health (OMH) Scholarship Program. This initiative supports students pursuing careers in the mental health field, one of the most critical areas of service and need in our region, our state and beyond.</p><p>Three of the 18 students selected are from SUNY Plattsburgh. Please join me in congratulating:</p><ul><li style="margin-left:15px"><p>Amanda Linares, master’s student in our Clinical Mental Health Counseling program</p></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><p>Simón Melgarejo Ramirez, master’s student in our Clinical Mental Health Counseling program</p></li><li style="margin-left:15px"><p>Yoeli Rosario Almonte, undergraduate student who transferred to SUNY Plattsburgh from SUNY Rockland</p></li></ul><p>These students represent the deep commitment and care that define our campus. Their selection reflects both their personal dedication and the strength of SUNY Plattsburgh’s academic programs in preparing future professionals to address urgent societal challenges.</p><p>We are proud to see them recognized and thank Governor Hochul, Chancellor King, and the New York State Office of Mental Health for investing in a stronger, more diverse mental health workforce.</p><p>To learn more about the program, visit: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/" target="_blank">suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship</a></p><p>Warmly,<br>Alexander Enyedi<br>President</p><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">SUNY Communications</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:communications@suny.edu">communications@suny.edu</a>></span><br>Date: Mon, Jul 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM<br>Subject: News Release: Chancellor King Announces the Fourth Class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program Recipients to Support Future Mental Health Professionals<br>To: <<a href="mailto:SUNYPIO-L@ls.sysadm.suny.edu">SUNYPIO-L@ls.sysadm.suny.edu</a>><br></div><br><br><div class="msg-3185633471466342070">
<div lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="m_-3185633471466342070WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="458" style="width:343.55pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><img width="308" height="30" style="width:3.2083in;height:.3125in" id="m_-3185633471466342070Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:ii_1985bff94785b16b21"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#221e1f"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
</td>
<td width="262" valign="top" style="width:196.45pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:white">_</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#221e1f"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><img width="308" height="38" style="width:3.2083in;height:.3958in" id="m_-3185633471466342070Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:ii_1985bff9478692e332"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For Immediate Release: Monday, July 28, 2025</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Contact: Holly Liapis,
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:Holly.Liapis@suny.edu" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">Holly.Liapis@suny.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">,
(518) 477-0757<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Chancellor King Announces the Fourth Class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program Recipients to Support Future Mental
Health Professionals<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Eighteen Students Pursuing Degrees in Mental Health Fields to Attend Seven SUNY Campuses This Fall<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Albany, NY</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> –
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the fourth class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program recipients, with 18
<a name="m_-3185633471466342070__Int_qsNjsf4N">students who will attend</a> seven SUNY campuses this fall to pursue degrees in mental
<a name="m_-3185633471466342070__Int_6Gj3wZVm">health fields</a>. 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.
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“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,” <b>said</b> <b>SUNY Chancellor King</b>. “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.”
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">SUNY Board Trustee Eunice A. Lewin said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, “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.”<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The program was designed to increase retention and completion rates of undergraduate and graduate students. Scholarships are
<a name="m_-3185633471466342070__Int_kunqaS47">awarded for</a> 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
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext">the SUNY/OMH Mental Health Scholarship</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">,
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:
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext">https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">,
“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.”
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">State Senator Samra G. Brouk, Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">,
“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."</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">,
“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.”<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">State Senator Particia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, “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.”<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">State Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">,
“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.”<b><u></u><u></u></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">State Assemblymember Joe Sempolinski said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, “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.”</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">State Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles said</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, “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.”</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Scholarships were awarded to the following students:<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Doctoral Students<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Joyce Li,
<b>University at Albany</b></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Brianna Lind,
<b>Binghamton University</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Antonio Regulier,
<b>University at Albany</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jadyn Trayvick,
<b>Stony Brook University</b><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Master’s Students</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Jenay Bartlett,
<b>University at Albany</b></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Elise Briedis,
<b>SUNY Oswego</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Christopher Cajamarca Ortega,
<b>Stony Brook University</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Dehnique DeFreitas,
<b>University at Buffalo</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Sakena Kearse,
<b>Binghamton University</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Amanda Linares,
<b>SUNY Plattsburgh</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Anne Lins,
<b>Stony Brook University</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Simón Melgarejo Ramirez,
<b>SUNY Plattsburgh</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Milagros Morales,
<b>Binghamton University</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Ava Slaughter,
<b>SUNY New Paltz</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Michaela Thorley,
<b>University at Buffalo</b><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Emily Zanat,
<b>University at Albany</b><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Undergraduate Students</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Yoeli Rosario Almonte,
<b>SUNY Plattsburgh (Transferred from SUNY Rockland)</b></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Daniela Tejada,
<b>Binghamton University (Transferred from SUNY Broome)</b><u></u><u></u></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">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.
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">About The State University of New York</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than
95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school
of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing
education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There
are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit
</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.suny.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">www.suny.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">###<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> </p></div></div></div></div></div>