Staff
Meet Our Team
Our PROSPERAR Team consists of diverse, enthusiastic, & mindful individuals who aspire to create a comprehensive support network that speaks to our students' needs, both in & outside of the classroom, as well as within our campus & the larger surrounding communities. All of our team members bring a personal, vested interest in our work with the campus community. Combined with our professional & academic experiences, each team member brings a unique perspective that enhances our ability to address the multifaceted challenges our students face.
Interested in learning more about the PROSPERAR team? Click the drop-down menus below to meet our wonderful staff!
Pathway Coaches
Through our Title V Grant, our team has taken holistic support a step further & brought on Pathway Coaches to reinforce available services & resources to our entire student population, starting with you. Pathway Coaches are SUNY Orange navigators, operating as an extension of the Center for Student Success, & are committed to your growth personally, professionally, & academically. Pathway Coaches also partner with various other departments & offices across the college to create a comprehensive, campus-wide safety net to provide academic, social & cultural programs designed to enrich your college experience through a community-specific lens.
Timothy Haines: STEM
Timothy Haines is the Pathway Coach for the Education and Human Services communities. This community consists of students pursuing their education in Architectural Technology, Computer Networking, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Engineering Science, Liberal Arts: Mathematics & Natural Science and Web Development.
Timothy is a SUNY Orange alum, having received his A.S. in computer science before transferring to SUNY New Paltz to receive his B.S., also in computer science. As a former student at SUNY Orange, Timothy uses his first hand experience and knowledge to support students. Timothy also is a former tutor and former lifeguard here as well.
Timothy’s favorite thing about SUNY Orange is how friendly everyone is.
Two fun facts about Timothy is that he is a Belgian citizen and he enjoys listening to and (attempting to) play metal music.
Trishon Watts: Culture, Society, & the Mind
Trishon Watts is the Pathway Coach for the Culture, Society, and the Mind Community. This community consists of students pursuing their education in International Studies, Liberal Arts:Humanities and Social Science, and Liberal Arts: Individual Studies.
Trishon earned his B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Literature with a focus study in Linguistics at CUNY Hunter College in 2019. He particularly enjoyed studying Spanish Golden Age sonnets and theater and 20th-century Latin American poetry and short stories.
Trishon also worked at CUNY Hunter College for several years as the assistant to the Romance Languages department Coordinator, helping with various aspects of student advising like registration, placement exams and study abroad programs. Later, he worked as a tutor for CUNY, SUNY and private college students in the foster care system where he learned more about higher education support programs, student advocacy and social work.
Trishon’s favorite part of SUNY Orange is the view of the Hudson River from the Kaplan Building.
Two fun facts about Trishon: He loves cooking (he started learning at age 10) and he is trilingual (he speaks English, Spanish and Albanian).
Ella Murguia: Education & Human Services
Mariela (Ella) Murguia is the Pathway Coach for the Education and Human Services communities. This community consists of students pursuing their education in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Development and Care, Human Services, Jointly Registered Teacher Education Program (A.A. & A.S.) w/New Paltz, Teaching Assistant and CASAC.
Ella was raised in Texas and graduated from the United States Institute of Language and Clerical Studies in Florida in 2019. Her B.A. is in Education with a focus on Teaching English as a Second Language. Ella has experience tutoring and mentoring middle school students while completing her degree and has worked with autistic students throughout the years. Ella also lived in Taiwan for 2 years and China for 3 years, where she was able to teach English to students aged 3 to 13 in a classroom setting. She was able to gain experience on different teaching styles and the importance that culture plays into education.
Ella’s favorite part about SUNY is the community-like atmosphere among the faculty. Two fun facts about Ella is that she enjoys language learning and can speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese. She enjoys writing poetry and music in her free time.
Support Staff
Our PROSPERAR Support Staff aid our Pathway Coaches in events, caseload management, & building connections with students. Click on the menus below to meet the rest of our team!
Omaya Ortiz: Coordinator of Learning Pathways
Peer Orientation Leaders
Peer Orientation Leaders are passionate student leaders who lend support to PROSPERAR programming to create a sense of community amongst peers, give a platform to student voices, & increase awareness to our team.
Peer Orientation Leaders:
- Lead small group discussions with new students
- Create focus groups to highlight student voices & advocate for change
- Facilitate campus tours with Pathway Coaches for new students & families to familiarize them with campus resources & locations
- Encourage student engagement & involvement through clubs.
Interested in becoming a Peer Orientation Leader? Give our team a call at (845)-341-9060 or email us at pathwaycoach@sunyorange.edu.
