Christina Weygant Receives McConney Award From SUNY
April 17, 2024MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – The State University of New York presented SUNY Orange student
Christina Weygant with the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for EOP Student Excellence
during a reception and ceremony in Albany, N.Y. today (April 18).
Weygant, of Wallkill, is majoring in accounting and business administration at SUNY
Orange and is currently examining her options to either transfer to a four-year institution
or join the workforce.
The McConney Award recognizes outstanding SUNY Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
students who are on track to graduate this academic year and who have exhibited academic
success, courage, perseverance, and leadership qualities throughout their collegiate
academic journey. To be eligible for the award, students have to be nominated by
an administrator at their institution. One awardee is then selected from the SUNY
colleges and universities that offer EOP programs.
A first-generation college student and mother of five, Weygant is determined to be
a positive role model and influence for her children. She admits juggling home life,
working in the Advising Office, and attending classes on both campuses and online
to accommodate an already tight schedule was challenging. Appreciative of the support
she received from the College’s EOP and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Programs
(CSTEP) programs, Weygant credits Associate Director of Academic Advising Naomi Daven
for providing encouragement and assurance.
Weygant will graduate in May and currently carries a grade point average (GPA) above
a 3.75. She has received two
scholarships, a book stipend, and an emergency fund grant during a period of financial
distress. She has earned a variety of academic awards, to include an EOP Academic
Achievement Award from the SUNY Office of Opportunity Programs and a Certificate of
Merit for Outstanding Academic Achievement in AAS Accounting by the SUNY Orange Business
Department, while also being inducted into in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in
June 2022. She has completed a business internship and the College’s “I am a Leader”
program.
SUNY Orange’s EOP program is funded through a SUNY grant. It provides access, academic
support and financial aid counseling to low-income and academically underprepared
students. Students in the program receive comprehensive wraparound services throughout
the academic year, including specialized advising; career assessment and planning;
and financial literacy. Students also have access to a student success coach and a
financial aid liaison.
SUNY Orange offers nearly 40 degree and certificate programs housed within seven academic
communities: Arts and
Media; Business; Culture, Society and the Mind; Education and Human Services; Health
Sciences and Wellness; Justice and Community Engagement; and Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (STEM).
To learn more about how to apply to SUNY Orange, please visit www.sunyorange.edu/getstarted,
email: apply@sunyorange.edu, or call (845) 341-4030.