The Mary Porcari Brady Fund has made a third $20,000 gift to the FLCC Foundation to help nursing students who are facing unexpected expenses that could force them to leave school.
The first gifts in 2022 and 2023 helped a total of 26 nursing students cover costs such as tuition, textbooks, car repairs, and rent.
Denise Ferrell of Canandaigua is enrolled in the accelerated program for license practical nurses looking to advance in her career to registered nursing. Ferrell has to work to support herself while keeping up with her coursework. She took advantage of the Mary Porcari Brady Fund to cover school expenses and some unforeseen financial challenges.
“The impact of the fund on my academic journey cannot be overstated,” she said. “It has not only relieved the anxieties associated with financial constraints but has also played a crucial role in ensuring that I could dedicate myself fully to my educational pursuits during a pivotal time in the semester.”
The FLCC Foundation, a nonprofit that raises private-sector support for College students and programs, holds the funds while the Nursing Department faculty administer the program.
“The Mary Porcari Brady Fund provides nursing students with a safety net so that when unexpected financial challenges arise, they can continue on with their classes,” said Brie Chupalio, FLCC chief advancement officer. “We are beyond grateful to the Porcari family for their continued commitment to the College and the future nurses of our region.”
Mary Porcari Brady obtained her nursing degree after the loss of her youngest child, Mary Elizabeth, to a rare genetic disorder. During her career, she worked as a registered nurse at Park Ridge Hospital for over 20 years, then at Cortland Hospital while she obtained a second degree at SUNY Cortland. She finished her career at Oswego Hospital. After her passing in 2001, her surviving children pooled resources to create the fund in her memory.
FLCC began accepting applications this week for a new licensed practical nursing (LPN) program. The Mary Porcari Brady funds will also be available to this new group of students. Information about the Mary Porcari Brady Fund is available online at mpbfund.com.
Finger Lakes Community College announces the dean’s list for the fall 2023 semester. A total of 488 students earned this honor. Students on the list come from across New York state, seven other states, and eight other countries.
To be eligible for the FLCC fall dean’s list, full-time students enrolled in a degree or certificate program must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and have completed 12 or more credit hours. Part-time students are included in the spring dean’s list.
Below are the students listed first by New York counties and towns. Students from New York City’s five boroughs are listed under New York City. Students from other states and countries are listed at the bottom.
Jonathan S. Weissman is a full professor at Finger Lakes Community College and coordinator of the Networking and Cybersecurity degree program. He also works as a principal lecturer at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Media across the region often contact him to help explain reports of hacking and cybercrimes. He recently teamed up with WHTM-TV Channel 27 News in Harrisburg, Pa., to examine the case of a man whose phone and bank account were both hacked. The man, a retiree, lost $12,000, and it looked as though he might not be able to get it back.
Not long after, the bank reimbursed the man, and the TV reporter credits Weissman’s expertise.
“The guy is thrilled – going to have a wonderful Christmas now. I’m sure you saying their security was inadequate sealed the deal. Hard to go against that,” he wrote to Weissman.
You can see Channel 27’s initial report and the follow-up in the videos below and learn more about Weissman on LinkedIn.
A Ukrainian mother studies at FLCC while she waits for a clearer path forward
Zhanna Zalizniak is like many non-traditional college students.
Zhanna, of Geneva, balances a full-time course load in web and mobile development with her life as a wife to Alex and mother of 8-year-old Tanya.
The difference is that she doesn’t know if she’ll use her degree here in the U.S. or back in her native Ukraine, which she fled at the start of the Russian invasion.
Zhanna and her family, which includes her mother-in-law, Katya, spent the first few months of the war in Poland. A friend in Geneva invited them to stay through the humanitarian parole program of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in May 2022. They did not have work authorization until 8 months after their arrival, so Zhanna enrolled in Erica Reid’s advanced English as a Second Language class at the Geneva Campus Center.
She had a good grasp of English grammar and vocabulary. The class helped with conversation and getting acclimated.
“Erica’s classes helped me better understand American culture and how things worked in the U.S. This was a very important part for me,” Zhanna said.
While her husband found a job, she decided to continue her education to make the best use of this uncertain time in her life. “It’s a good opportunity for me while I am here to try something new,” she explained.
‘Nobody knows’
How long Zhanna and her family live in Geneva depends on many factors beyond her control, including Homeland Security policy.
“Now they want us all to be to switch to TPS, temporary protected status, and this is going to be for two years, so it’s all very uncertain. Nobody knows what will happen,” she said.
Temporary Protected Status gives those whose home countries are unsafe the right to live and work in the U.S. temporarily. Over the summer, Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary for homeland security, announced that this status would continue for Ukrainians through at least April 2025.
Today, her attention is split among her FLCC homework, Tanya’s school activities, and news from home.
“I get news all day, every day. I never expected full-scale war in my country. It’s kind of crazy,” she said.
Each passing day puts Ukraine further away. “If I can go home tomorrow, of course I would pack and leave,” she said, but her daughter’s experience is very different from her own. Tanya was just learning to read and write Ukrainian before the war, so her skills in English reading and writing skills will soon eclipse those in her native language.
“She likes it here. She hardly remembers how school was back in Ukraine,” Zhanna said. “We don’t have enough time – for her to be engaged in Ukrainian school also,” especially with the time difference. Kyiv, where they lived before the war, is six hours ahead of New York.
Scattered community
Zhanna and her family feel welcome in Geneva though it’s different from Kyiv, where the family could walk to shops or take public transportation.
Other Ukrainians have passed through Geneva, with some taking advantage of FLCC’s programming. “I started seeing them as soon as the war broke out,” said instructor Erica Reid. Before the war, her students had generally been a mix of those escaping economic hardship or spouses of academics visiting the Cornell AgriTech research facility.
Since February 2022, she has had a dozen Ukrainian students.
“I am currently working with seven students from Ukraine. Six of them arrived about a month ago or less,” she added. They are spread across the region, including Canandaigua, Honeoye and Victor.
Some have since moved to wherever they could find work, one family went as far as Texas. That has made it challenging for Ukrainians to build community.
“Everybody is helping each other in every way, but we are all new and strangers here, and we don’t have much resources,” said Zhanna.
Where to go in the U.S., whether to resettle or resolve to return home – these decisions will be different for every Ukrainian.
“If you want to wait, wait for how long? At first we thought maybe a couple of months and then this year, and this year. It’s all different for everyone. Nobody knows what you should do. If you ask me what would my advice be, I couldn’t advise anybody.”
A total of 512 full- and part-time students were named to the Finger Lakes Community College dean’s list for spring 2023.
To be named to the dean’s list, students must have a 3.5 grade point average and meet other criteria as follows:
Full-time students are eligible if they are matriculated – meaning enrolled in a degree program – and achieve a 3.5 grade point average for the semester (12 or more hours of earned credit) with no grade below passing and no incompletes.
Part-time students are eligible if they are matriculated, have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at FLCC, earn a combined total of at least 12 credit hours for a given year and achieve a 3.5 grade point average with no grade below passing and no incompletes. The student must be part-time for both semesters. The dean’s list for part-time students is compiled at the end of the spring term only.
Below are students by county and town in New York State. Out-of-state and international students are at the end of the list.
Garett Lester of Bloomfield, shown with Sam Samanta, FLCC professor of physics, graduated from FLCC before completing high school.
Garett Lester graduated on May 20 with an associate degree in smart systems technologies from Finger Lakes Community College and plans to transfer to Rochester Institute of Technology.
And today (June 23), he will graduate from Bloomfield High School.
No, that is not the typical order, but knowing it was possible to finish two years of college before high school graduation motivated Garett to take some extra classes over the last year.
Garett and another student completed associate degree requirements before finishing high school this year, but each took a different path. Garett attended the PTECH program while Ava Rodriguez of Pittsford took college classes through the FLCC Early College Scholars program, starting at age 14. Her high school graduation is tomorrow (June 24). A third student, Lily Hall of Dundee, joined this club using another strategy: a mix of Early College Scholar and Gemini credits. Gemini, also called concurrent enrollment, is a program that allows students to take classes in their home districts that satisfy both high school and college requirements. Lily’s graduation from Dundee High School on Thursday, June 22 made her a high school and college graduate at the same time.*
Garett Lester: PTECH
Short for Pathways in Technology, PTECH allows students from 25 school districts to enroll in an alternate high school at the FLCC Newark Campus Center and earn a mix of high school and college credits, starting in ninth grade. Most PTECH students finish high school and then spend another year or two at FLCC. Through careful planning with a counselor, Garett realized he could finish degree requirements before completing 12th grade.
“I thought not many people get an opportunity to do that, so that helped to motivate me a lot,” he said. “There were definitely times where I was thinking, ‘This is a lot to be doing,’ but it’s one year then it’s done, and I accomplished something.”
Garett was drawn to technology in eighth grade after taking Design and Drawing for Production (DDP) classes, in which students learn to use computer-aided design (CAD) software and programs like Audodesk Inventor. He attended a presentation on PTECH at Bloomfield and decided to enroll. Ninth-graders in PTECH take a class that introduces them to technology programs and careers with a grant covering the tuition costs for the college program they select.
Garett was a couple classes ahead when he started, having taken algebra and Living Environment in eighth grade. When he got his driver’s license, he was able to take additional classes at the FLCC Victor Campus Center off Route 251. He credits his PTECH and FLCC instructors, in particular physics professor Sam Samanta, for giving him the flexibility to complete his classes, while working part-time. Samanta coordinates the smart systems technologies degree, which integrates electrical, mechanical and computer skills.
“He’s always willing to help you and make sure you’re following along with class but you’re not getting piled up on homework,” Garett said. “I’d have to say PTECH is very similar in that they’re trying to be as open-minded and understanding of your situation to make sure you’re getting the help you need to learn.”
Beyond the instructors, he said fellow students provide a sense of community.
“We’re all new to it. We’re all looking for someone to talk to and by the first quarter of your freshman year, you have made friends,” Garett began. “It’s a great community. You’re not going to feel out of place because everyone’s in the same boat, everyone’s there for you. We’re all rooting for each other. You really don’t get the separate cliques, it’s one big group.”
Garett’s program required a co-op experience, and in November 2022, he was placed at Addex in Newark, which makes blown film equipment for applications like bags, wraps and shrink films.
After his co-op, Addex hired him part-time. His work consists of building mechanical and electrical assemblies and working on circuit boards. He also enjoys the challenge of troubleshooting a mechanical or electrical problem under the guidance of his mentor, Bill Wilck, mechanical and technical services engineer at Addex.
“You get to work with your hands. It’s rewarding at the end of the day being able to go in with something that doesn’t work and being in that role where you can make everything fit together and work out right.”
Dan Poehlein, technical specialist for the smart systems program, has known Garett since he joined Ptech.
“Despite his obvious skills as a student, I believe that his greatest attributes are in the area of kindness, compassion and curiosity,” Dan said. “Garett is the first student from the Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES to complete the required college course of study by the end of his 12th grade year. This accomplishment has laid the foundation for future students to follow his path toward success.”
Garett, who will turn 18 in July, will transfer to RIT this fall. He is deciding between electrical and mechanical engineering with long-term plans to work in the railroad industry. He recommends that students who are looking for a different kind of high school experience consider PTECH. “If you decide you don’t like the programs, you always do have the option to go back to your district, so I would tell them: ‘If you’re interested, go for it and keep your friends back home, but make new friends when you get to PTECH.’”
Ava Rodriguez: Early College Scholars
Ava Rodriguez had watched as her older sister got ahead on college credit by taking community college classes, so at age 14, Ava enrolled in two art history classes through the FLCC Early College Scholars program.
Then, she kept going, completing her high school homework during lunches and study halls at Pittsford-Mendon then switching gears to college work in the afternoon and evening.
In August 2022, Ava and her mother, Zenah, reviewed her credits and confirmed that, with the right courses, she could finish work toward her liberal arts associate degree before completing high school. After the Pittsford-Mendon High School graduation on Saturday, June 24, she will be both a high school and college graduate.
“My mom is my biggest supporter. I really couldn’t have done it without her,” Ava said. “She wanted both of us to have a head start and graduate college earlier.”
Ava is starting this fall at St. John Fisher University’s Wegmans School of Pharmacy. It is typically a six-year program, but Ava’s associate degree means she can finish in four.
“I really like science. I like being in the lab,” she said. “Then, I was doing my own research one day, and I came across pharmacy, and the whole career sounded really interesting to me.”
Ava took most of her FLCC courses online with some in-person classes. In addition to her mom, she received guidance from Laura Jamieson, assistant director of concurrent enrollment, in navigating the college. Laura oversees FLCC classes taught in high schools in the College’s service area as well as Early College Scholars, which gives students in high school and homeschool settings the ability to take FLCC classes with reduced tuition.
Ava particularly enjoyed biology with Professor Kelli Prior, chemistry with technical specialist and instructor Jennifer Zink, and physics with adjunct instructor Thomas Henderson.
“They were easy going. If you were having trouble with the material or an issue came up in your personal life, they’re more than willing to work around it,” she said. “I think my favorite professor was Dr. Henderson. You know those teachers that really have a passion for teaching, and they try to make it as enjoyable for the student. He was all-around one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.”
Ava found time among her high school and college coursework to pursue a range of visual art media, from oil pastels to watercolors to charcoal. She often paints scenes from nature but has earned two commissions drawing characters from movie and TV series.
Ava found her combined high school and college schedule a challenge at times and credits her mother for keeping her on track. She also says the work became easier the more she understood about herself.
“Really take the time to learn about you. What I mean by that is, ‘How do I learn? How do I retain information the best?’ because you can manage your time better and make room for other classes.”
Lily Hall: Gemini and Early College Scholars
Lily Hall used the Early College Scholars and Gemini programs to finish high school and an associate degree at the same time.
Lily Hall took some online classes directly through FLCC as an Early College Scholar and earned other credits by taking Gemini classes at Dundee High School. She built up enough credits for an associate degree in liberal arts by the last day of high school classes this month.
“I’ve always enjoyed setting high goals for myself and this certainly played a role in my decision to pursue my associate degree before I finished high school, but the bigger motivation for me was that I knew that it would be the wisest way for me to use my time,” Lily began.
“Going into senior year, most kids expect to take the bare minimum of classes and coast through the year. As nice as that may sound, I am so glad I decided to maximize my time by pursuing this path. It surely makes the summer more enjoyable knowing I already have two years of college, and a degree, under my belt.”
Lily and her mother learned about the Early College Scholars program with the help of a former high school counselor, Sarah Baker, who put them in touch with Laura Jamieson.
Lily credits Laura with helping her balance her course load.
“She helped me to develop a plan for the courses I would be taking during each semester to earn my associate upon graduation from high school,” Lily explained. “She advised me with care and wanted to keep me from being too overwhelmed by my courses. She also kept me updated on how to go about the details of enrollment and graduation. She played one of the most key roles in my success and I am extremely thankful for her.”
Lily said she learned more than new content in her college classes.
“I learned how to communicate with my professors. I learned how to stand up for myself when it came to my grades, I learned how to learn about things I did not enjoy and find meaning in them, and I even learned about how important time management is,” she said. “The ups and downs that I have faced in college so far have helped me grow as a person and that is what made my FLCC experience positive.”
Lily’s favorite classes were art history and American Sign Language. She is currently pursuing a certification from Google in cybersecurity
Learn more about PTECH here or contact your high school counseling office.
*There is a minor technicality here. Enrolling at FLCC requires a high school diploma, so Garett, Ava and Lily will turn in their high school transcripts, whereupon their credits will be immediately applied to their degree programs and their college degrees issued.
FLCC celebrated its 2022-23 GED graduates with a ceremony on June 8.
Finger Lakes Community College celebrated 38 students who have received a general equivalency diploma in the last year with a ceremony on June 8 at the main campus.
FLCC’s program allows people to work at their own pace with an instructor to prepare for the four exams necessary to earn a high school equivalency diploma.
Leon Hoover of Penn Yan speaks at the FLCC GED graduation on June 8.
Information about FLCC’s high school equivalency and English as a second language programs is available at flcc.edu/abe, (585) 785-1431, or ged@flcc.edu.
Classes are offered in hybrid (online and in-person) and in-person formats days and evenings in Ontario, Wayne and Yates counties at FLCC locations, libraries and the Yates County Workforce Office. New students take in-person tests in math and reading to gauge their skill levels.
Kim Nelson celebrates as she crosses the stage on May 20 during FLCC Commencement.
Kim Nelson was headed home to Naples one day in 2019 when she looked toward the FLCC main campus and noticed something about the sunlight there.
“I was driving down the road, and God said this is where I want you to be.”
She stopped, walked into the One Stop Center and started asking questions. Sara Carey helped her fill out the application and the financial aid forms.
It was spur of the moment but a long time coming. Kim chose chemical dependency counseling as her course of study. She had struggled with addiction for about 40 years following a life marred by sex trafficking and a suicide attempt. At age 61 and clean for a decade, she wanted to help others find a path out of misery.
“When you save one addict, you don’t just save one, you save the whole family,” she said.
Kim walked across the stage at Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center on May 20 to get her diploma, finishing with a 3.74 GPA. This fall, she’ll enter the Keuka College bachelor’s degree program in social work much more prepared than she was for her associate degree work.
“I didn’t even know how to turn on a computer when I started. It’s amazing the things I’ve learned from this college,” she said.
Kim immersed herself in her coursework and took advantage of all the services FLCC has to offer, spending entire days on campus. When she wasn’t in class, she’d be in the writing center or the Incubator, a science tutoring center, or getting assistance from the IT Helpdesk. Nick Aiezza, professional tutor in the Write Place, says her skills grew “by leaps and bounds.”
She spent time in the Math Center, working with coordinator Marilyn Grzenda. “I could never have done so well in math without her patience and understanding that math 50 years ago was not the college level it is today,” Kim said.
“My overall experience is that FLCC made me feel so loved. The people are totally amazing. They didn’t frown on me or make me feel ashamed,” she added. Her advisor, Professor Mary Murphy, “gave me so much courage and inspired me so much.”
Kim had bad days, she said, but staff, including Melissa Soules, the disability services coordinator, encourage her to keep going.
Now Kim offers the same encouragement to others. “Where there’s life, there’s hope. Even though you’ve been through a rough life and had bad things happen to you, you don’t have to remain a victim. You can be a survivor.”
FLCC student Josh Bauer with SUNY Chancellor John King, right, and Cesar Perales, vice chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees.
Joshua E. Bauer of Interlaken, a business administration major at Finger Lakes Community College, was among 46 State University of New York students honored in April with the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence.
The award recognizes students in the SUNY Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) for their academic merit and strength in overcoming significant personal obstacles.
Bauer, 20, who is scheduled to graduate with his associate degree on May 20, is a 2021 graduate of South Seneca High School. Bauer’s aspiration is to become a helicopter pilot and pursue a career in aerial cinematography and drone photography despite significant medical and financial issues.
As a teen in the 90s, Dawn Pietropaolo thought she wanted to be a social worker and serve children.
Today, she does exactly that in a local district, but her story is not so simple.
Dawn Pietropaolo
As she finished high school in the Rochester suburbs, her family discouraged her from pursuing social work.
“My entire family was against college and against that profession in general,” she said.
Instead, Dawn got married and had four children, raising them and volunteering at their school. She has no regrets about her time as a stay-at-home mom, but a divorce led her to revisit her old dream. When her oldest, Juliana, applied to FLCC, Dawn enrolled in the human services program.
“We were freshmen together. We were in the same classes. It was a blast, and honestly, it gave me the confidence to keep going,” Dawn said of the camaraderie she shared with her daughter. Continue reading “A delayed dream, realized at FLCC”
