Warwick resident wins SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

SUNY Orange student Lucia Vanella was recently named as a recipient of the 2024 State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence during a ceremony on Thursday, April 11, in Albany.

In all, 193 students from 62 two-year and four-year campuses across the SUNY system were recognized by Chancellor John B. King Jr. Founded in 1997 as SUNY’s highest honor given to students for academic excellence and leadership, the Chancellor’s Award recognizes students for their outstanding achievements throughout their SUNY experience in areas including academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service and the arts.

“There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and each year we come together to herald and celebrate the achievements of a diverse group of some of SUNY’s most accomplished students,” King said. “This year’s winners include first-generation students, researchers, a single mother and grandmother, a cancer survivor, international students hailing from over 16 nations, athletes, and a student who worked with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center — among so many more with inspiring stories of excellence in the classroom and beyond. It is my honor to celebrate the achievements of the nearly 200 CASE awardees as they inspire others and illustrate what is possible with a SUNY education.”

Vanella, of Warwick, is pursuing a liberal arts degree with an emphasis in mathematics. A member of the SUNY Orange Honors Program for two years, she joined the Honors advisory board during the summer of 2023. She served in the Student Senate as a senator at large and co-founded the College’s book club, where she is currently treasurer.

A recipient of the President’s Honors Scholarship, awarded in the fall of 2022 and renewed in 2023, Vanella has received academic achievement awards in philosophy and interdisciplinary studies. She has also received a recognition award for outstanding service contributing to the improvement of campus life through the participation of the I Am a Leader Program at SUNY Orange. She plans to return to SUNY Orange after graduation to pursue a second degree in engineering.

To learn more about SUNY Orange, visit sunyorange.edu/getstarted, email: apply@sunyorange.edu, or call 845-341-4030.