Herkimer College Students Honored with SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

Herkimer County Community College seniors Timothy McKenzie (Central Islip, NY) and Lindsey Parese (Herkimer, NY) received the 2016 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. The award recognizes students who have best demonstrated and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement or career achievement.

This year, 248 recipients were selected from 64 SUNY campuses. The honorees were recognized at a ceremony on Tuesday, April 5 at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, NY.

McKenzie is a Liberal Arts & Sciences: General Studies major at Herkimer. He has served as a resident assistant, admissions tour guide, peer tutor, member of the Judicial Review Board and member of the men’s basketball team. As a resident assistant, McKenzie sponsored the first Herkimer College ‘Dance Battle’ and hosted a dating/domestic violence forum for students at a welcome back barbeque. He is an advocate for breast cancer awareness, volunteering his time with the basketball team last fall to raise funds for the cause.

Parese is a Liberal Arts & Sciences: Science major, and is a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member and Honors Program graduate. She has earned academic honors by being named to the President’s List. She is a captain of the softball team, helping them to a second place finish at the 2015 NJCAA DIII Softball National Championship in Rochester, MN. Parese has participated in a variety of volunteer activities with the softball program at the Stephens-Swan Human Society of Oneida County, the Gram Lorraine Adopt a Child for Christmas program, the American Heart Association’s Heart, Run & Walk, youth softball clinics and holiday caroling in the Village of Herkimer.

Herkimer College President Cathleen McColgin said, “Tim and Lindsey are excellent students who have worked hard and enjoyed the full collegiate experience by getting involved in a wide variety of co-curricular activities. They have truly embraced the many opportunities available to them at Herkimer College. I am extremely proud of both of them and their achievements, and wish them much success in their future endeavors.”

“This award is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to stand-out SUNY students whose achievements reflect their own impressive hard work as well as the support of their families and friends, and SUNY’s world-class faculty and staff,” said Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. “The 248 students we honor with this year’s award have excelled academically, become role models on campus, and established themselves as leaders in the community. Congratulations to all of the students receiving the 2016 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence.”