MCC Daily Tribune
MCC Student Among 49 SUNY EOP Students to Receive Award for Student Excellence
Award Recognizes Educational Opportunity Program Students for Academic Excellence and Perseverance
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. on Tuesday recognized the achievements of Monroe Community College student Jonhny Tran, along with 48 other students in SUNY’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), who were honored with the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. The award, which is an annual tradition now in its seventh year, recognizes outstanding EOP students for their academic merit and perseverance.
“Over nearly 60 years, SUNY’s EOP has supported tens of thousands of students and empowered them to achieve their full potential,” SUNY Chancellor King said. “I am honored to recognize this year's recipients of the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. Our McConney award winners’ hard work as they move forward on their path to academic excellence and upward mobility makes them an inspiration for all of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “The Educational Opportunity Program continues to offer students statewide the support and guidance on their path to a college degree. We are proud to recognize the recipients of this year's Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence for their hard work and perseverance during their academic journeys. SUNY is grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for their continued support of SUNY, and our EOP students.”
The award is named in honor of Norman R. McConney Jr., a 1971 graduate from the State University of New York at Albany and former Assistant Dean for Special Programs at SUNY. McConney, alongside former Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, helped create EOP as a statewide program.
Since its inception in 1967, SUNY’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program has provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. In its 58-year history, EOP has graduated nearly 90,000 students and served as one of the country’s most successful college access programs. EOP eligibility is based on income and academic readiness. EOP currently serves more than 9,000 students across 55 SUNY campuses.
In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of current SUNY EOP students, Chancellor King recognized State Assemblymember Latrice Walker, a graduate of SUNY Purchase and EOP alum, with an honorary Norman R. McConney Jr. Award due to her long-standing commitment to support the EOP program and serve as a leader and inspiration for all SUNY students.
At the awards ceremony event, Assemblymember Walker served as keynote speaker and celebrated the accomplishments of the award recipients as well as the faculty and staff who support all EOP students. Assemblymember Walker has represented the 55th Assembly District since 2015. Assemblymember Walker is a graduate of the Pace University School of Law and serves as the chair of the State Assembly’s Election Law Committee. She is also a member of the Housing, Judiciary, Codes Committee, and Ways and Means Committee. When not in Albany, Assemblymember Walker mentors young people, spends time with seniors, and is a dedicated mother. She is also an active member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
State Assemblymember Latrice M. Walker said, “Congratulations to the 49 students who have been honored with the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. These students, based on their personal achievements and academic excellence, represent the best and brightest that New York State has to offer. The SUNY Educational Opportunity Program has helped nearly 90,000 students pursue their academic and career goals. As a proud graduate of SUNY Purchase, I was one of those students. The award recipients exemplify what can be achieved when the doors of opportunity swing open, instead of being shut because of one’s zip code or economic disadvantages.”
Following the keynote address by Assemblymember Walker, student speaker Caris Kraty from Hudson Valley Community College shared her experience as an EOP student and how the program has offered opportunities for upward mobility and academic excellence to thousands of students throughout the SUNY system. Kraty is a senior at Hudson Valley Community College who has demonstrated resiliency and commitment to her long-term goals. Currently, she serves as the Student Senate President, as well as President of the Black and Latino Student Union, Board Member of the Faculty Student Association, Treasurer of the EOP Club, and Peer Leader and Peer Mentor in EOP. Kraty was born in Liberia, and moved to the United States at a young age with her adoptive family. She is an Individual Studies major at Hudson Valley Community College and plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in media studies at SUNY New Paltz after graduation.
Caris Kraty said, “As an EOP student, I’m here today because this program didn’t just open doors — it empowered me to walk through them with confidence. EOP is more than support; it is opportunity in action. Coming to this country from Liberia at a young age, I had big dreams but limited resources. Through Hudson Valley, SUNY and EOP, I found mentors, leadership opportunities, and a community that reminded me my circumstances do not define my potential. This award reflects what happens when access meets empowerment. EOP gives students the tools to rise, to lead, and to create brighter futures for ourselves and our communities.”
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, “I want to offer congratulations to the 49 SUNY EOP students who have been honored with the Norman R. McConney Award for Student Excellence. This is an award that recognizes the persistence and determination of EOP students. I would also like to recognize and congratulate my colleague, Assemblymember Latrice Walker, for her honorary McConney Award. Assemblymember Walker has long championed the EOP program and its students. A well-deserved honor for all.”
State Senator Robert Jackson said, “SUNY’s Educational Opportunity Program stands as one of New York’s most powerful commitments to fairness and possibility. As a proud SUNY graduate whose own path was shaped by EOP, I know that behind every EOP success story is a student whose talent was always present, but whose opportunity needed to be opened. The students receiving the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award remind us that when public institutions invest in access, perseverance becomes achievement—and possibility becomes leadership.”
State Senator Lea Webb said, “As an EOP alum, I'm inspired by the achievements of these remarkable students. Their dedication, resilience, academic success and pursuit of excellence embody the very purpose of this program. Recognizing their accomplishments and honoring the legacy of impactful leaders like Norman McConney Jr. reminds us that when we equitably invest in education and uplift our students, we build our communities and strengthen our future.”
State Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos said, “Congratulations to the recipients of the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. Your hard work, perseverance, and commitment to your education represent the very best of what the Educational Opportunity Program makes possible. Recognizing achievements like yours is important because it highlights the power of opportunity and the impact that programs like EOP have in helping students overcome barriers and reach their full potential. Your success is an inspiration and a reminder of why expanding access to higher education must remain a priority.”
State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, “To all our students navigating their academic dreams amidst financial challenges, SUNY EOP is here to provide guidance and resources to help you succeed. We are proud of your dedication and the progress you’ve made toward your goals. Congratulations from one EOP alum to another.”
About Norman R. McConney, Jr.
SUNY recognizes Educational Opportunity Program students for their academic achievements in honor of Norman R. McConney Jr. due to his legacy of public service, which encompassed several statewide initiatives to benefit underrepresented New Yorkers, including programs to prepare minority high school students for careers in the sciences and medicine and scholarships for students underrepresented in the licensed professions. Mr. McConney is also credited with helping found the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, which later became the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in four New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum.
Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
03/11/2026