Donor Impact | SUNY Potsdam

SUNY Potsdam is moving forward because you continue to give back.

The pandemic introduced SUNY Potsdam students, faculty and staff to unforeseen challenges. Shifting to virtual instruction, adapting to COVID-19 guidelines, navigating financial insecurity and working diligently to keep each other healthy were all part of the campus’s “new normal.”

The campus community was able to overcome the obstacles it encountered not only because of its unified resilience but because of your generosity and dedication. In every season, whether full of trials or joys, your steadfast support ensures the success of our students and campus. Thank you for your continued investment in SUNY Potsdam.

Scholarship Support

Chords of Success

From performing as a concerto soloist to instructing the next generation of harpists, Shannon Boyle ’20, M’22 has experienced a wide range of opportunities as a student at The Crane School of Music. She credits the many scholarships she has received as an integral factor in her success, and she will be able to graduate without any debt as a result of her donors’ generosity. Read More

Fulfilling Dual Dreams

Canadian student Brooke Graham ‘21 is working toward completing her Master of Science in Teaching—not only to fulfill her own dreams but also her late grandmother’s. Her goal will be realized this December because of the Krista Fordham ’08 Education Scholarship. Read More

Taking the Stage

The lack of a physical audience did not keep theatre major Kameron Daily ’22 and twelve fellow cast members from sharing their acting talent last spring for a virtual production of “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.” Daily’s participation in this production is due in part to donor support. He has received the Fishbeck Foundation Scholarship for three consecutive years and cites the scholarship as a reason he was able to continue his education. “After my first year at SUNY Potsdam, I was looking at the potential of not returning. Because of scholarship support, now my future at Potsdam is secure.”

Paying It Forward Together

Receiving support through the Pay It Forward Scholarship Program has enabled Myriam Butikima ’23 to discover her path to success at SUNY Potsdam. She shared, “The scholarship helped me want to stay at Potsdam even more because it was like, ‘Here is a start-up for you. We hope you have a great four years.’" Read More

The Value of Connections

Emily Morse ’21 is primed for success in the computer science industry because of the many SUNY Potsdam alumni who dedicate time and resources to the computer science department. This summer, Emily took part in a remote internship with the Griffiss Institute and the Air Force Research Laboratory, made possible by her connections with alumni and support from a generous scholarship established by Haden Land ’84. Read More

“The education I received at Potsdam changed my life—it gave me confidence I’d never had before. If the smallest contribution can help someone else transform their thinking, it’s the least I can do.”
Heather Eriole ’05 Charter the Path 2021 Donor

Program Support

Bringing The Quad to Their Screens

During the pandemic, the Office of Campus Life was tasked with a complex predicament: How do you engage students in campus life when they are isolating in their dorm rooms or living miles away at home? The necessary solution was to go virtual, and their efforts were successful due to a combination of their team’s tremendous dedication and their programs’ donors and endowed funds. Read More

Helping the Bears Roar Back

After a full year of canceled competitions, socially-distanced practices and facilities challenged by changing protocols, the Potsdam Bears are back. In April, Bears Roaring Back—the first-ever annual campaign to support Potsdam Bears Athletics—raised $72,723 from 677 donors. Generosity from alumni, former and current student-athletes, parents, friends, coaches and faculty/staff will improve the student-athlete experience and recreational opportunities for all SUNY Potsdam students. Read More

The Gift of Technology

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people across the world became increasingly reliant on livestreaming to interact with the communities they cherish. SUNY Potsdam students, parents and alumni have stayed connected to the College through livestreamed recitals, concerts and encores of past performances due to the generosity of Gail ’64 and Richard Stradling (Hon. ’19). Read More

Students Today

Students Today Stat Graphic

Why We Give Back

Phil Shatraw ’79

“My experiences at Potsdam, without question, have made me who I am today both professionally and personally. For that reason, I am extremely grateful to the College. I figure the best way to ‘repay’ Potsdam for this is through donations and volunteering my time."

Dr. Jude ’91 and Renee Turck Kiah ’92

“It has always been important to us both to provide other people the same opportunities and experiences that we had. It gets me emotional because Potsdam had such a huge impact on our lives. When I go back and see Satterlee and Raymond and all the other places, I realize that the campus still has what it had and has gone into the future as well. We remain committed to that future.”

Jordan Olinksy ’17

After a few years working in the music business industry, Jordan Olinsky ’17 found himself in a place to give back to his alma mater last year, offering to gift a brand-new Courtois trombone to an incoming student. Professor Emeritus Dr. Mark Hartman identified Octavia Duvigneaud ’24, and she gratefully received the instrument in April 2021. “Dr. Hartman is the whole reason I did this,” Jordan shared. “It was for a student of course, but if it wasn’t for Doc, and my relationship with him and the school, I wouldn’t have done this. I would do anything for Doc.”