[Important Information for Employees] Fwd: News Release: Chancellor King Announces the Fourth Class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program Recipients to Support Future Mental Health Professionals

[Office of the President]

Dear Campus Community,

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.

Three of the 18 students selected are from SUNY Plattsburgh. Please join me
in congratulating:

   -

   Amanda Linares, master’s student in our Clinical Mental Health
   Counseling program
   -

   Simón Melgarejo Ramirez, master’s student in our Clinical Mental Health
   Counseling program
   -

   Yoeli Rosario Almonte, undergraduate student who transferred to SUNY
   Plattsburgh from SUNY Rockland

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.

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.

To learn more about the program, visit:
suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship
<https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/>

Warmly,
Alexander Enyedi
President

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: SUNY Communications <communications at suny.edu>
Date: Mon, Jul 28, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Subject: News Release: Chancellor King Announces the Fourth Class of
SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program Recipients to Support Future Mental Health
Professionals
To: <SUNYPIO-L at ls.sysadm.suny.edu>




_



*For Immediate Release: Monday, July 28, 2025*

Contact: Holly Liapis, Holly.Liapis at suny.edu, (518) 477-0757





*Chancellor King Announces the Fourth Class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program
Recipients to Support Future Mental Health Professionals*



*Eighteen Students Pursuing Degrees in Mental Health Fields to Attend Seven
SUNY Campuses This Fall*



*Albany, NY* – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr.
announced the fourth class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program recipients, with
18 students who will attend seven SUNY campuses this fall to pursue degrees
in mental health fields. The scholarship program was established in August
2022 by Governor Kathy Hochul and is part of SUNY’s partnership with New
York State’s Office of Mental Health (OMH) to strengthen the pipeline of
mental health professionals from diverse backgrounds, with a focus on
serving New Yorkers who may have historically lacked access to quality
mental health care.



“Helping students from all backgrounds join the ranks of mental health
professionals will mean more New Yorkers are able to access these vital
services going forward,” *said* *SUNY Chancellor King*. “Mental health is
important to all communities, and the SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program empowers
more students to enter and thrive in this essential field. We are thankful
to Governor Hochul and our partners at the New York State Office of Mental
Health for developing programs like this scholarship to expand care across
our state.”



*SUNY Board Trustee Eunice A. Lewin said*, “For this class alone, more than
200 students applied for 18 spots, which demonstrates the demand for this
program and the competitiveness across our campuses. SUNY is a place of
academic excellence and comprehensive student success support, and it is my
pleasure to congratulate this class of SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program
awardees as they prepare to meet the mental health needs of our state.”



The program was designed to increase retention and completion rates of
undergraduate and graduate students. Scholarships are awarded for up to two
years per student, and the program also offers paid internships, fee
waivers for graduate school applicants, and more to support students in
mental health degree programs. To be eligible for the SUNY/OMH Mental
Health Scholarship
<https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/>, students must
be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, residents of New York State,
enrolled in a SUNY campus majoring in a mental health discipline, maintain
a minimum 2.5 GPA, be full-time students, and be at least second-year
undergraduates or first-year graduate students. Preferred candidates
include Pell grant recipients, veterans, AmeriCorps alumni, first
generation college students, and multilingual students. For more
information about the SUNY/OMH Mental Health Scholarship, please visit:
https://www.suny.edu/diversity/mentalhealth-scholarship/.



*Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said*, “The strength
of our mental health care system is reflected by the diversity of our
workforce. These scholarships are a critical component in our effort to
ensure our state has a strong pipeline of professionals from diverse
backgrounds to serve our communities. Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s
leadership, we are building a workforce well-prepared to deliver
high-quality mental health care to all New Yorkers.”



*State Senator Samra G. Brouk, Chair of the Committee on Mental Health,
said*, “As Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health, I am enormously
proud of the recipients of the SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program for pursuing
this rewarding and essential career path. With the need for more mental
health professionals from diverse backgrounds only increasing, these 18
students are ensuring that our vulnerable populations will be taken care of
for years to come. I want to send a warm congratulations to the students,
and thank SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and Governor Kathy Hochul for
their continued investment into our mental health workforce."



*State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Higher Education Committee,
said*, “SUNY’s investment in educating the next generation of mental health
professionals is significant. The SUNY/OMH Scholarship program provides
students with the financial aid they need to pursue a career in this
underserved sector of healthcare. Its goal of increasing diversity will
result in a much-improved quality of care for New Yorkers. I thank Governor
Hochul and Chancellor King for their steadfast commitment to SUNY and
congratulate the scholarship’s latest recipients.”



*State Senator Particia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said*, “As Ranking Member of
the Senate Committee on Mental Health, I commend SUNY and the Office of
Mental Health for their continued commitment to fostering a diverse,
skilled mental health workforce. This scholarship program not only supports
students financially, but also creates a vital pipeline of professionals
who understand the communities they will serve. Investing in these future
mental health professionals is an investment in the well-being of all New
Yorkers. Congratulations and much success to all the recipients.”



*State Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education
Committee, said*, “Investing in the next generation of mental health
professionals is not only critical to addressing the growing need for care,
but also to ensuring that the workforce reflects the diversity of the
communities it serves. I applaud SUNY and the Office of Mental Health for
their continued commitment to supporting students from all backgrounds as
they pursue careers in this vital field. These scholarships are helping to
remove barriers and build a stronger, more inclusive mental health system
for New York.”



*State Assemblymember Joe Sempolinski said*, “Congratulations and thank you
to each one of these student scholars for choosing to devote themselves to
helping their fellow New Yorkers. As Ranking Member of the Assembly Mental
Health Committee, I am very pleased to see people entering the mental
health field to help underserved populations, especially in rural
communities. As a state, we need to remain committed to promoting access to
mental health services across New York.”



*State Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles said*, “Our state and country
continues to face an escalating mental health crisis compounded by a
declining number of mental health professionals. At the same time, we face
a serious lack of diversity in the mental health workforce which creates a
gap that can deeply affect trust and long-term treatment outcomes. This
Mental Health Scholarship Pipeline Program is a brilliant and forward
thinking head-on response to these challenges and creates a pathway that
will build the next generation of mental health professionals that better
reflect and understand the communities it serves. This program is a
testament to what is possible when we invest in people and in public
education. Congratulations to the fourth class of The Office of Mental
Health’s Scholarship recipients, your dedication will help build a stronger
mental health workforce across our state.”



Scholarships were awarded to the following students:



*Doctoral Students*

   - Joyce Li, *University at Albany*
   - Brianna Lind, *Binghamton University*
   - Antonio Regulier, *University at Albany*
   - Jadyn Trayvick, *Stony Brook University*



*Master’s Students*

   - Jenay Bartlett, *University at Albany*
   - Elise Briedis, *SUNY Oswego*
   - Christopher Cajamarca Ortega, *Stony Brook University*
   - Dehnique DeFreitas, *University at Buffalo*
   - Sakena Kearse, *Binghamton University*
   - Amanda Linares, *SUNY Plattsburgh*
   - Anne Lins, *Stony Brook University*
   - Simón Melgarejo Ramirez, *SUNY Plattsburgh*
   - Milagros Morales, *Binghamton University*
   - Ava Slaughter, *SUNY New Paltz*
   - Michaela Thorley, *University at Buffalo*
   - Emily Zanat, *University at Albany*



*Undergraduate Students*

   - Yoeli Rosario Almonte, *SUNY Plattsburgh (Transferred from SUNY
   Rockland)*
   - Daniela Tejada, *Binghamton University (Transferred from SUNY Broome)*



In addition to this program, SUNY is investing nearly $10 million in
recurring annual funding to support State-operated campuses in expanding
mental health services – reaching 29 campuses enrolling more than 200,000
students – and is investing $3 million in recurring annual funding to
support mental health services at Community Colleges.



*About The State University of New York*

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of
higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New
Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and
universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers,
five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the
country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry,
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 www.suny.edu
.



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