CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Two Hudson Valley Community College student-athletes - Terrence Bynum (Brooklyn/Abraham Lincoln High School) and Don Govel (Guilderland/Guilderland High School) - received the State University of New York Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award.
"Terrence and Don symbolize what great student-athletes should be: They are exceptional athletes, excellent students and model citizens," Hudson Valley Director of Athletics Drew Marrochello said.
Bynum is a two-time member of the college's President's List. He graduated from Hudson Valley in December with an associate degree in Individual Studies. A two-year member of Hudson Valley's nationally-ranked football team, Bynum was one of only 26 players nationally to earn First Team Academic All-American status by JC-Gridwire. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and a recipient of the prestigious Charles Vaughn Educational Trust Scholarship. He hopes to transfer to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and pursue a degree in management.
Govel, a Business Administration major, is the treasurer of Hudson Valley's Student Senate. He is a two-year member of Hudson Valley's soccer and bowling teams, a member of Phi Theta Kappa, and serves as one of two student members on the Faculty Student Association Board. Govel also was one of only three student participants in the National Coalition Building Institute to obtain certification in diversity training. He plans to attend RPI and pursue a degree in finance after graduating from Hudson Valley.
Govel and Bynum also were two of five Hudson Valley students recognized with SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence on March 28.
In all, 73 students from 30 State University campuses with a collective grade point average of 3.58 were honored at a ceremony in Syracuse on Monday, April 25.
"These students have consistently demonstrated the dedication, work ethic and leadership that are embodied by all SUNY's student athletes," said King. "They are here today, and we are so proud of them because they have set an example not only for their teammates, but for students across the university both in the classroom and on the field."
The Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award recognizes a combination of academic excellence and outstanding athletic achievement at the Division I, Division III and NJCAA levels.
Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 60 degree and certificate programs in four academic divisions: Liberal Arts and Sciences; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Business; as well as programs run through the Educational Opportunity Center offering certification programs in workforce and academic preparation. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of more than 12,000 students, and it is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and worker retraining. Hudson Valley has nearly 60,000 alumni.