We have some amazing students at SUNY Cortland who do so many positive things to benefit the Cortland community. The college recently hosted the 40th Annual Residence Life Conference and FCS was honored to be the beneficiary of the silent auction at that event. Meghan Henley, a Residence Hall Director and Co-Chair of the event was thrilled with the outcome of the conference. “The committee of students who made this conference possible worked very hard to make this a successful event,” shared Henley.
Residence Life and Housing is a major office on campus that is responsible for providing a safe, secure, well-maintained environment in which students can learn, develop and flourish. Student staff members take an active part in making each residence hall a well-rounded and responsible community that encourages respect among all residents. SUNY Cortland’s Residence Life Conference is an opportunity for residence hall staffs from universities and colleges throughout the region to gather, collaborate, and learn from each other.
This year’s Residence Life Conference revolved around the theme of “Adventure is out there.” The educational programming at the conference revolved around the values of direction, diversity, determination and discovery to help guide residence life staff members from around the region to be successful and well-rounded.
Each year, the Residence Life Conference holds a silent auction to benefit and raise funds for an organization chosen by the conference committee. Conference committee members feel that the silent auction is an imperative part of the conference because it instills in student staff members the value of helping those in need. This year Family Counseling Services was selected as the beneficiary of the event which raised nearly $600 for our financial assistance fund.
The fund allows FCS to offer a sliding scale fee that is much lower than the actual cost of services for individuals with limited resources, high co-pays and high deductible plans ensuring access to vital counseling services regardless of financial resources. Many of these individuals are likely to be students who are trying to cope with their financial burdens especially with regards to their student loans. Whether it’s looking for refinancing options from providers like SoFi (https://www.sofi.com/refinance-student-loan/) or working extra hours to make ends meet, these students work hard to ensure a stable future for themselves and their families. On this note, it makes us happy to be able to provide the necessary help to them through counseling and support. We are most grateful to the conference committee members, conference participants and the businesses and organizations that contributed items for the silent auction. You are making a difference in the lives of children, teens and adults living in our community!
Members of the committee included: Alicia Breer, Marisa Cabrera, Nick English, Sean Flanagan, Alyssa Frenette, Marissa Hope, Emily Horn, Kelly Hunneymann, Dominique Kenyatta, Marisa Lobelson, Aly Nilsen, Jeremy Owusu. Adam Palmer, Gabby Persichilli, Kateri Ruebenstahl, Bailey Ward, and Breanna Washington along with Co-Chairs Meghan Henley and Melissa Gretzler.