SUNY Canton Students Advocate for Equal Opportunity Program in Albany

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CANTON, NY (03/06/2014)(readMedia)-- Eight SUNY Canton Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students traveled to Albany recently to share their concerns about state budget cuts with lawmakers.

The EOP Advocacy Day is a statewide event that allows constituents to discuss higher education issues with their representatives. In all, 15 SUNY schools participated.

The State University of New York's EOP provides access, academic support and financial aid to students who show promise for succeeding in college but who may not have otherwise been offered admission. Available primarily to full-time, matriculated students, the program supports students throughout their college careers within the University.

SUNY Canton students met with New York State Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell and State Sens. Tony Avella, Betty Little and Velmanette Montgomery. They encouraged lawmakers to restore a $632,000 cut to EOP in the state budget.

"It was a good experience for us because we were able to speak with Ms. Russell and others about EOP," said Crystal D. Hall, a Criminal Investigations major from Brooklyn. "We shared our stories and explained why the program is so important."

"It was a great learning experience for our students to be able to share their stories with lawmakers," said EOP Counselor Scott Quinell. "I think they did a fine job addressing their concerns with the legislators and their staffs. It was all of the students' first time visiting the State Capitol building in addition to speaking with elected officials."

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier College for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The College delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management, and public service to students in the North Country, New York State, and beyond. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The College's 14 athletic teams compete in state-of-the-art facilities as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

-www.canton.edu-

Caption: Pictured are SUNY Canton EOP Counselor Scott Quinell, student Ivanna M. Thompson from Brooklyn, student Crystal D. Hall from Brooklyn, Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, student Bimenyimana Onesime from Syracuse and student Richard M. McCants from Brooklyn.