GOSHEN- A group of 11 SUNY Orange architecture and engineering students and 2 professors, supported by the SUNY Orange Foundation, recently visited LAN Associates in Goshen to tour the company’s local offices and network with LAN staff, many of whom are SUNY Orange alumni.
The Foundation has worked in the past with James (Jim) Diana of LAN Associates, Class of 1992, to facilitate the company’s generous five-year scholarship fund. While working together, and understanding the challenges associated with bringing professionals to the College to speak with students, Foundation Executive Director Dawn Ansbro found a way to turn the tables and bring students to alums.
“This event was our first attempt to meet our alumni where they work and bring SUNY Orange back to them. It was a huge success thanks to LAN’s wonderful hospitality and our students’ unbridled curiosity about what a job in architecture or engineering actually looks like,” said Ansbro.
Connecting industry professionals with current professors also resulted in mutually beneficial alliances. Select LAN Associates will be invited to review presentations and final portfolios by students soon entering the workforce.
Diana thanked the Foundation for arranging the meeting and added, “We are very proud to support the College and Hudson Valley community. The event was a success and we appreciate all that the Foundation does for the students.”
Current SUNY Orange student Elieser (Eli) Urena was appreciative of the opportunity provided by the Foundation. “The event was great! I will definitely be following up with them about meeting their engineers and possible summer internship opportunities…and I will keep in touch with (the Foundation) after I graduate. I would love to give the same advice the alums did for me to other kids like me in the future.”
With such positive feedback, the Foundation is currently working on a similar project with a different local employer of College alum for next semester.
“Corporate partners like LAN Associates are such a gift,” Ansbro added. “They started a scholarship, hosted this amazing event and some of the SUNY Orange alumni at LAN are even coming back to campus to work with our architecture department. This is a real partnership and we are so grateful to LAN for their commitment to SUNY Orange.”
To learn more about the degree programs within SUNY Orange’s STEM academic community, visit https://catalog.sunyorange.edu/current/programs/index.html.
