For Immediate Release
June 1, 2017

Stay on Long Island and NYS Presidential Scholars Named

A scholarship program conceived by Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Shaun L. McKay in 2010 to staunch Long Island’s “brain drain” by keeping talented, motivated students on Long Island and attending Long Island Colleges and Universities has awarded scholarships totaling more than $640,000 annually to Suffolk County Community College students. The program has awarded more than $5.1 million in scholarships to 190 Suffolk County Community College students since its inception, President McKay said.

“The Stay on Long Island Initiative (SoLII) helps our graduates achieve their academic dreams by continuing their education at quality four-year colleges and universities right here in our region,” President McKay said.

The initiative, McKay explained, provides full and partial-tuition scholarships to current Suffolk County Community College students who graduate and transfer to partnering four-year Long Island colleges that include: Adelphi University, Five Towns College, Hofstra University, LIU Post, LIU Riverhead, LIU Brentwood, Molly College, New York Institute of Technology, The College at Old Westbury, St. John’s University, St. Joseph’s College and Stony Brook University.   

The SoLI initiative was expanded by Dr. McKay to encourage our most talented students to stay in New York State for college study. The New York State Presidential Scholarship, (NYSPS) encourages Suffolk’s most talented students to stay in New York State for college study. The colleges in the NYSPS program are: LIM College, Iona, Medaille College, Nyack College, Utica College and Vaughn College.

This year’s scholarship winners:

Adelphi University
Robert Rutherford - Northport

Five Towns College
Anthony Cain – West Babylon

Hofstra University
Sumayyah Uddin - West Babylon

LIU Brentwood
Zulma Restituto - Northport

LIU Post
Charles Bellini- Hauppauge
Demi Jones -  Miller Place
Anthony Sorisi - Hicksville          

LIU Riverhead
Chrysovalantou Tsoumpelis - Southold

Molloy College
Christopher Chiusa – West Islip

SUNY Old Westbury
Anna Szczepanik – Mount Sinai

St. John’s University
Lory Cazeau – Central Islip

NYIT
Alexandra Jennosa - Manorville

St. Joseph's College
Jaclyn Kletchka – East Islip
Joseph Milbauer – Bay Shore
Nicole Riccio – West Babylon
Olivia DeStefano
Paige Papile – Port Jefferson Station
Brandon Battaglia - Centereach
Arianna Zyates
Ane Ambrosia - Riverhead
Brook Haber – West Islip
Shannon Cavanaugh - Levittown
Joseph Carnabuci – West Islip

Stony Brook University
Alexander Szabo  - Manorville
Drew Swezey – Hampton Bays
Anthony Mercurio - Holtsville

Iona College
Michael Pesce - Westhampton

LIM College
Ece Batmaz – Rocky Point

Medaille College
Christina Fives- Smithtown

Nyack College
Joan Martinez

Utica College
Alexa Pederson

Vaughn College
Alaina Robbins