NYIT Unveils New Lounges for Veteran Students
New York, NY (10/04/2018) — New York Institute of Technology recently celebrated the opening of new lounges for its veteran students at NYIT-New York City (Manhattan) and NYIT-Long Island (Old Westbury, N.Y.) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the New York City campus. New York State assembly member Linda B. Rosenthal read a proclamation praising the accomplishments of the Student Veterans Organization (SVO) over the past year.
"SVO is an invaluable part of the NYIT community. The fact that veterans, their service, their dedication, and their lives are of interest to such a well-recognized institution…I applaud all of you," said Rosenthal, who represents District 67, which includes NYIT-New York City.
Also in attendance were representatives from the New York City Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), including U.S. Air Force veteran Gene Westmoreland, who presented a Statement of Support to NYIT President Hank Foley, Ph.D., for his signature.
"We do value your service, we value your academic accomplishments, we value your aspirations, and we want to be there for you," said President Foley who cited recent initiatives such as providing unlimited Yellow Ribbon funding, a plan to hire a full-time director of military and veterans' affairs, and the first-ever Veterans Recognition Gala, which was held in May.
The lounge in Manhattan is dedicated to U.S. Air Force veteran Steven Donohue (B.F.A. '16), who approached NYIT administrators when he was an undergraduate with ideas on how to improve the student veteran experience. "When I arrived at NYIT in 2014, I really looked for people that were veterans, because when you're transitioning to civilian life, the hardest thing to do is feel normal," he said. "I could only come across opinions about our lack of veteran programs, but I found people who cared enough to listen. I have to commend NYIT for changing the future of veteran organizations and creating the foundations for other institutions in this great state to follow."
NYIT student veterans in attendance included SVO President Randall O'Shea, Director of Veterans Community Outreach Nigel Casanova, Chief of Operations for Student Veteran Affairs C. Daniel Kennelly, and SVO member Joseph McShan.
The veteran lounge in Manhattan is located in 26 W. 61st Street in room 021, and the veteran lounge on the Long Island campus is located in the Student Activity Center, room 105. The lounges are accessible with a student veteran's ID.
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 9,000 students at campuses in New York City (Manhattan) and Long Island (Old Westbury) in New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Vancouver, British Columbia; and in various programs around the world. NYIT sponsors 13 NCAA Division II programs.
NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. More than 100,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.
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Pictured: U.S. Air Force veteran Gene Westmoreland represented the New York City branch of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve at the ceremony. New York State Assembly member Linda B. Rosenthal is seated to Westmoreland's right.
