At a glance
“For more than 50 years, the Educational Opportunity Program has served as a guiding light toward upward mobility and student success for those who may not have had a clear path to college. Our EOP student ambassadors, many the first in their families to go to college, are a testament to what can be achieved with the support provided by the EOP."
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.
Ashley Clemente (New York, NY), an Alfred State agricultural entrepreneurship major, has been named a SUNY EOP Student Ambassadors. Clemente is one of 22 students from 21 different SUNY campuses to be part of the program.
Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Student Ambassadors are being added to mentor their fellow students, create a student EOP support network of EOP students across the SUNY System, advise the Chancellor on strengthening the program, and help inspire more students to seek opportunities through EOP.
Clemente is a senior with a dream of owning a vineyard. During her time at Alfred, she has also served as a mentor for the college’s summer SPA program and was an orientation leader. She is also active helping with the college’s food pantry.
She was introduced to the SUNY EOP Ambassador program last school year after being nominated by Cyan Corwine, the former director of EOP on Alfred’s campus. “It feels good to be in this program. I have strong pillars on campus of professionals that I can talk to. It feels amazing that Cyan saw the potential in me.”
Clemente is excited to give back. “I think it is important to give back to people who give to you. I have gained a lot from being in the EOP program. I am excited to tell incoming students about what EOP is and how to apply for EOP.
“I feel so privileged to have been afforded the opportunity to lead this amazing program at the place where my career began, and Ashley and her accomplishments make me feel even more so,” commented Nadine Shardlow, current director of the Educational Opportunity Program at ASC. “The students in EOP are amazing! All they need is room to flourish and that is what Ashley has done!”
“For more than 50 years, the Educational Opportunity Program has served as a guiding light toward upward mobility and student success for those who may not have had a clear path to college. Our EOP student ambassadors, many the first in their families to go to college, are a testament to what can be achieved with the support provided by the EOP,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. “With their guidance, we can improve the EOP, and with their encouragement, more students will follow their path to a college education. My thanks to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for their support so that SUNY can continue to build on the EOP's success by supporting more students for the next 50 years."
The program is a way to build on the success of EOP by strengthening peer mentorship and networking for students from historically excluded and underserved backgrounds. It continues the Chancellor’s commitment to bringing student perspectives into the decision-making process at SUNY to ensure students’ needs are addressed in ways that work for them.