Panel: SUNY Online Learners

Online Learner Panel

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Panel Co-Moderators:

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Susan Warner,SUNY Online Student Supports/Success Project Manager

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Dr. Michele Forte, Associate Professor & Mentor in Community and Human Services, SUNY Empire State University. 

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Tracks: Online Student Support,Plenary, Online Admin/Leadership, Online Instructional Designers, Online Faculty

Online Student Panelists:

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Aneisha Breiner, a native of Rochester, NY, with roots in San Juan, Puerto Rico, now resides in Chili, NY. Currently a full-time Hospitality Management student at Monroe Community College, she’s been honored with nomination to join the National Honors Society and Leadership by MCC. Balancing the demands of being a full-time student, Aneisha is also a devoted mother to four boys, including an angel baby. Her journey has been featured on two podcasts—one discussing the nuances of motherhood with two boys with Autism/special needs, and the other showcasing her event business. Aneisha has made her mark in the local scene, earning a mention in “Rochester Woman Online” magazine. Post-graduation, Aneisha aspires to follow in the footsteps of her inspirations, Mindy Weiss and Colin Cowie, by becoming a successful traveling event planner with multiple venues under her belt. Her ambitious dreams are fueled by a passion for creating memorable experiences, just like the iconic events organized by Weiss and Cowie for celebrities like the Kardashians, Oprah Winfrey, and Jennifer Aniston.

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Deb Bennett was born in central New York and has lived in the area her whole life. She has been working in the accounting field for 7 years now and is currently working on her bachelor’s degree in accounting at SUNY Plattsburgh. She has been attending Plattsburgh part-time since 2021, started full-time in the Fall of 2023, and is scheduled to graduate in May of 2024. Most recently she earned a  place on the Dean’s list for Fall of 2023. She plans to start grad school in the Fall of 2024 to persue a master’s degree in accounting at SUNY Brockport, or Syracuse University. Her short-term goal is to sit for the CPA exams after earning her master’s. She is interested in international accounting and non-profit.

   

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Kurtis VonBergen hails from Waterloo, NY, and is a dedicated returning student at Monroe Community College who plans to complete his degree with online courses. Majoring in Hospitality Management, Kurtis seamlessly blends academic excellence with community engagement. Not only did he earn a spot on the Dean’s List for Fall 2023, but he also recently achieved a milestone with his induction into the National Society of Leadership & Success, showcasing his commitment to leadership and academic success. Beyond his studies, Kurtis is actively involved in local mutual aid groups, demonstrating his passion for service and making a positive impact in the community.

   

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Abrielle Hamilton is a lifelong New York native who currently lives in the Hudson Valley. She completed her first three semesters at Dutchess Community College, primarily online, before transferring to the fully online Sustainability Management program at SUNY ESF. She interned for the Ulster County government over the summer of 2023, and when the internship concluded, was offered a part-time position in the Ulster County Department of the Environment. The experience gained from this position has been invaluable and provided many insights about potential future career paths. She hopes to work in corporate sustainability upon graduation. When not working or doing school work she likes to read and rock climb. 

   

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Matthew Berge is a father and lifelong New Yorker from Suffolk County, Long Island. He is neurodivergent and physically disabled with Stiff Person Syndrome, a disease that only affects one in a million people on average. Matthew first earned his Associate of Arts in Social Science: History from SUNY Suffolk in the Fall of 2010, making him a first-generation college graduate. He returned to academia to finish what he had started when his son entered kindergarten in 2019, enrolling at SUNY Empire, wishing to show his son the importance of education. The distance learning model at SUNY Empire, allowed him to pursue his studies undisturbed by the pandemic. He completed his undergraduate education online graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 2021 and applied to Empire’s graduate school program in Social and Public Policy. Once accepted into the program, Matthew became a highly engaged student in the SUNY Empire community. He joined the Student Government Association and was a member of the 2021-2022 SUNY Empire PRODiG Scholars Program cohort. Matthew also joined the SUNY Empire DEI Council, bringing the voice of a neurodiverse student with disabilities to the table, and later became a SUNY Disability Ambassador as well. Matthew was awarded the 2022 SUNY Empire Award for Student Excellence, the 2022 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, and the 2022 SUNY ACT for Excellence and Student Initiative Award. As a graduate research assistant to Dr. Roxana Toma, he researched online community engagement frameworks for higher education. He has presented and co-presented nationally and internationally, and has authored and co-authored published articles in the Journal of Engaged Research, the SUNY Empire publication COVID-19: Crisis and Resilience, the International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning, and a book chapter with Springer. He earned his Master of Arts in Social & Public Policy with a 4.0 GPA in Spring 2023, then entered Empire’s newly launched Master of Public Administration program in the Fall of 2023. Matthew is in his final semester of that program and hopes to continue in academia next fall at the doctoral level.

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Andrea Martin (she/her) is a first generation Caribbean American and native New Yorker, an avid yogi and flutist. She is the Clinical Care Coordination Supervisor at a NY based FQHC. She has over 18 years of experience in the healthcare field, including direct patient care as a nurse, in advocacy, product management, and administratively. She has been attending SUNY Alfred State to complete her degree in Healthcare Management to further her endeavors in healthcare. The focus of her current role and her goal is to provide comprehensive care to the LGBTQ community, address social disparities, substance use, HIV/AIDS in the aging population, and access to Long Acting Injectables for the treatment and prevention of HIV.

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