Momentum

Ernesto Mitchell ’23 went from chasing a dream to having a dream college career. Mitchell, who graduated this May with a degree in criminal justice, wrapped up his collegiate playing career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of the Mustang football program. Through hard work and a relentless drive, see how Mitchell has tackled everything in his path since arriving at SUNY Morrisville, as told by Brandy Thurston ’95, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance & Sports Information.

Staring down into the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean Ocean, Lilo Starr came across a breathtaking sight. While snorkeling off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, Starr observed a magnificent display of multicolored fish just a few feet below them. The beautiful underwater scene captivated the 19-year-old SUNY Morrisville sophomore from Pearl River, New York.

Justin Redivivo didn’t set out to work in the agriculture field. He grew up in Canada, completed high school there and came to the United States to join his family and seek employment. He worked at Foxwoods Resorts Casino in Connecticut and attended college briefly to study hospitality. “College wasn’t my thing,’’ he said. He later joined his father on staff at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Vernon, New York, starting out in restaurants before moving on to entertainment, gaming and event positions.

Student Recreation Center “What a great day for Morrisville!” That sentiment was shared by SUNY Morrisville President David Rogers as he addressed the sizeable crowd gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil SUNY Morrisville’s new Student Recreation Center.

From their offices at SUNY Morrisville, nursing professors Norma Swartout and Jane Stephenson marveled at where their students were completing online courses for their bachelor’s degree curriculum. One student was logging in from Europe, where her husband was stationed in Germany. Another had traveled to visit family in India, while another had returned home to Africa to complete her internship and coursework. “They’re across the ocean, on the other side of the world, interacting and learning with us here in Morrisville,” said Swartout, now in her 15th year of teaching.

William K. “Bill” Guglielmo, Morrisville Class of 1969, died in February after leading the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce for more than 25 years.

Leonard Cunningham came to SUNY Morrisville in the fall of 1913, a member of the third entering class in the school’s young history. It was a relatively short trek in those days; Cunningham’s father worked as a farmhand at a Cazenovia farm, just over 11 miles to the west on Route 20 — a hilly dirt road that would remain unpaved until the early 1930s.

Noah Greger ’18 knew one thing growing up — he loved cars. He had a knack for mechanics, rebuilding engines and fixing motors long before he was old enough to be in the driver’s seat. The first spark was his longing to restore a rundown Datsun sitting in a neighbor’s yard, in his Danbury, Connecticut hometown, and later fixing the engine on the ATV his parents bought him when he was 11.

Walking across campus, Sheila Marshman greets a group of students with a wide grin, chatting about her daughter’s recent performance at the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Visiting an alum at a local farm later that day, she doesn’t hesitate to hop up on a forage harvester to pose for a photo, striding across the hay fields with confidence. Her dynamic personality transcends the classroom and has inspired countless graduates to find and follow their purpose.

Megan Viera ’18 concentrates on her footing as she walks up a wooden ramp leading to the porch of a two-story farmhouse. A prominent sign hanging by the door — “It’s so good to be home” sums up a near decade of perseverance for the 27-year-old Sherburne, New York, resident. It’s her first step toward living independently as a survivor of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a motor vehicle accident, which left her rebuilding her life — learning how to walk, talk and perform all cognitive functions again.