SUNY Poly raises nearly $185,000 in fundraising campaign

The funds raised will benefit several areas on campus including Wildcat athletics, student scholarships, the Educational Opportunities Program, SUNY Poly Emergency Fund, Poly Pantry, and the SUNY Poly Annual Fund. The new scholarships will help further defray college costs for students attending SUNY Poly.

“I am extremely grateful to Kevin, Steve, Gina, and NYSTEC for their generosity in establishing these important endowed scholarships, which will allow SUNY Poly students to reach their dreams,” SUNY Poly Foundation Chair Stephen Teti said in a press release. “The SUNY Poly Foundation is proud to carry on its tradition of fostering career preparation, and while we know that these gifts will continue to have a positive impact on students for years to come, we also hope that they will inspire others to give, regardless of the size, to make a tangible difference for SUNY Poly students.”

The Kevin Volk Scholarship will benefit undergraduate students in SUNY Poly’s College of Health Science nursing program. He and his wife previously established a nursing scholarship at the university that was funded each year. The endowed scholarship will be established upon his passing.

“Even though I graduated from the College of Business, I am proud to donate to nursing students because over the years, I have experienced some health setbacks,” he said in a press release. “I am thankfully well now, but through my many experiences in and out of hospitals, I have come to appreciate how dedicated and hardworking nurses are. I am more convinced than ever that the nursing profession is essential, and we hope this support will help students thrive in this important career.”

The new $25,000 endowed Michele Salisbury Scholarship, established by NYSTEC, benefits undergraduate female students enrolled in any field of study with a preference given to those with economic need.

The Surace family established a $25,000 endowed scholarship to benefit undergraduate business students.

“We are both graduates of SUNY Poly and have seen a lot of success come from that education,” the couple said in a statement. “We know firsthand how an investment in education pays dividends far into the future and believe very strongly that those students who also see a college education as their path should be assisted by those who have already traveled that path. We also know how challenging it can be to obtain a college degree in the current economic environment. We are hopeful that this gift will help push students closer to that goal.”