Two SUNY-ESF students were recently awarded with the highest honor granted by the SUNY system.

Margaret Foley and Fareya Zubair, both seniors at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, which is given to students throughout the SUNY system. The number of students awarded from each college depends on the size of their graduating class.

The nomination process begins at each SUNY school in January, when students can either self-nominate or a faculty member can nominate them, said Laura Crandall, director of student involvement and leadership at SUNY-ESF.

Students must fill out an extensive nomination form to be submitted to an academic governance committee at SUNY-ESF, which is composed of faculty, staff and students, Crandall said. The committee reviews the applications and chooses two applicants to submit to the SUNY committee, which typically agrees with the candidates the college has chosen.

The award is given annually to two outstanding seniors from SUNY-ESF who demonstrate excellence in and out of the classroom, Crandall said.

“We look for well roundedness,” Crandall added. “We typically go for … a student who has a 3.8 or a 3.5 (GPA) and have done significant work on our campus … than a 4.0 student who has done nothing for campus.”

The students were notified of their award in late February, Zubair said in an email.

Crandall emphasized the prestige of this award by acknowledging how low the percentage of students who actually receive it is.

“We have a hard time selecting candidates,” Crandall said. “Both Margret and Fareya are exceptional student leaders, very well deserving. They worked really hard for four years at ESF.”

The students were awarded medals and certificates from SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher on April 5 during a ceremony in Albany, which recognized all award recipients from the 64 SUNY schools, Zubair said.

Foley, an environmental and forest biology major, said in an email that she enjoyed the ceremony, as she was able to see other student leaders being recognized and shook the chancellor’s hand.

Following graduation, she will be working as an educator at Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus, New York.

“My long-term goal is to go back to graduate school, but I will be taking the next year to work and explore grad school options,” Foley said.

She said she values campus involvement because it gives her an opportunity to give back and be part of a community that has already given her so much.

A few of her favorite involvement experiences came through the Undergraduate Student Association and her position as a resident assistant at Centennial Hall.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my family, friends, peers and advisers,” Foley added.

Zubair, a biotechnology major, said she believes involvement on campus is an opportunity for self-growth and to create change in the school as well. She plans to take a gap year after graduation to examine her options.

“I am looking into graduate programs that will be in the health field that allow me to work with child psychiatry or neurology,” Zubair said. “I also want to continue my work with community engagement and nonprofits.”

Zubair said her favorite activity is the mentorship program she began with Rob Swanda, a senior at Syracuse University, called Empathy Matters. The program works with second-grade students in the Syracuse City School District, teaching them leadership and empathy skills.

Zubair said she sees the award as a symbol to keep pushing forward and continue with the work she has begun on campus and in the community.

Published on May 1, 2016 at 10:38 pm

Contact Taylor: tnwatson@syr.edu