FLCC Forward

The spring Laker magazine features families with multiple alumni

Before she started at FLCC, Emma (Andrew) Swarthout ’11 got help building her schedule from former students, including her older sister Rebeccah.

And her older sister Sarah.

And her older sisters Abbey, Hannah, and Kathryn.

Emma was the sixth of the Andrew kids, all homeschooled, to attend FLCC. Her brother George followed, and William, the youngest, is currently studying business administration.

Their mother, Colleen Andrew, enrolled her first two daughters at FLCC, thinking an associate degree would be the best proof they were ready for a four-year college.

“It worked so well with the first couple of us that my mom was kind of like, ‘Why fix what’s not broken?’” said Abbey (Andrew) Copenhaver ’08.

The College keeps no records on the number of families in which parents and children, husbands and wives, or multiple siblings attend, though the connections have become increasingly apparent since the first classes began in 1968.

Some alumni marvel at the changes when the next generation attends. Tim Montondo ’88 came back nearly two decades later with his daughter, Rachel, a 2019 accounting graduate.
“It was amazing!” he said. “There was so much new that had been added. It was so cool to see. I had a hard time finding my way around to show her things.”

Sometimes the family tie is not just the College, but a program.
The late Betty Jean McAnn ’73 made a later-in-life decision to become a registered nurse, inspiring her daughter-in-law, Lisa McAnn ’93.

“I was in banking when we moved here from Oklahoma. Betty Jean was the one that encouraged me. She said I had the qualities to get the nursing degree, and she talked highly of Finger Lakes.”
Lisa is now an associate professor in the FLCC nursing department.
Betty Jean’s granddaughter, Alicia McBride, is a 2014 graduate of the program.

Ted Fafinski, a retired Farmington town supervisor, sent both his children to FLCC, and they married alumni. The College took on another dimension in his life when he taught as an adjunct for five years. His family’s connections to FLCC are among many that have grown along with the College.

“FLCC isn’t just a community college,” Ted said. “It’s part of the community.”

The federal appropriations bill signed by President Joe Biden on Saturday, March 9, included $1 million U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer secured for a new horticulture and greenhouse facility at Finger Lakes Community College.

The college’s plan to rebuild the greenhouse at its main campus is part of FLCC’s facilities master plan currently under development. The college and its sponsor, Ontario County, are reviewing a range of options for renovations and new construction to best position the college for the next decade. The plan is scheduled for adoption in May.

“The construction of modern horticulture buildings will be a top priority in the new facilities master plan. This appropriation will leverage a dollar-for-dollar state match, and combined with private donations, put us in an excellent position as our plans become more concrete,” FLCC President Robert Nye said. “We are grateful for Sen. Schumer’s support.”

Draft plans call for the demolition of the existing greenhouse behind the science wing at the main campus and construction of a new facility in a better location to take advantage of sunlight. The greenhouse would have a hydroponic system and modern temperature and humidity controls to allow for different growing environments. The facility would also include labs and classrooms that could be shared with other organizations.

The college has been exploring options and funding sources for several years to rebuild the greenhouse, which opened in 1979. The FLCC Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks private sector support for the college, has received donations totaling $1.8 million. This amount also qualifies for a state match. Over $1.7 million of the Foundation funding is an estate gift from the late Adrienne O’Brien, a longtime friend of the college and supporter of the viticulture program.

FLCC offers associate degrees and certificates in horticulture and viticulture and wine technology with a combined enrollment of more than 120 students as of fall 2023.

Following approval of the FLCC facilities master plan in May, the college and county would hire an architect to develop concept plans. No timeline for construction has been established.

UR Medicine Thompson Health has created a new scholarship for second-year nursing students to cover a full year of tuition in exchange for an agreement to work in its hospital.

FLCC full-time tuition is $5,280 per year. The first recipient is Nichelle Camp of Newark, who will graduate in May.

“I have completed two clinical rotations at Thompson and fell in love with the facility as a student,” Nichelle said. “I am honored to be a recipient of the new scholarship. I am grateful for the foundation FLCC has given me, and I am looking forward to the opportunity that is ahead as I start my job in Thompson’s post-anesthesia care unit this summer.”

“Nichelle is an extremely hard working, motivated student. She is engaged in scholarship and strives for excellence in all she does,” added Tina Hamilton, assistant professor of nursing. “She is currently president of the Class of May 2024 and attentive to the needs of her peers. She is a worthy recipient of the Thompson Health scholarship.”

Students must complete a competitive application process and attend an interview with Thompson’s nursing leadership. The application is included with more than 100 other awards that incoming and current students can apply for at flcc.edu/scholarships.

Those who are chosen agree to work for the health system for two years upon graduation and passing the NCLEX, or National Council Licensure Examination. Thompson will grant up to 10 scholarships per year.

“We are thrilled to be able to welcome Nichelle to Thompson and look forward to the many FLCC-trained nurses who will follow in her footsteps,” said Hazel Robertshaw, Thompson Health vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. “The best part is that this new initiative builds on a longstanding partnership between our health system and the College, ensuring a strong pipeline of future nurses for many years to come.”

Graduates of the FLCC associate in nursing program had a 95 percent pass rate on the national nursing licensure exam in 2023. This is above the statewide averages of 88 percent for associate degree graduates and 90 percent for bachelor’s degree graduates.

Finger Lakes Community College students in the viticulture and wine technology program selected a wine label designed by Laura Lopez, a graphic design student from Colombia, for their 2023 varieties.

Lopez offered an abstract brand design she called Fresca Leyenda, Spanish for Fresh Legend, that is filled with symbolism.

“When I found out that my design had been selected, I experienced a mix of surprise and overwhelming happiness, validation that all the hard work, effort invested, and time spent had been rewarded,” she said.

Continue reading “FLCC students select wine label winner for 2023 vintages”