Providing scholarship support for the students of the State University of New York at Old Westbury will be the outcome of a new endowed fund created with an initiating gift of $10,000 by the Upsilon Mu Alumni Foundation to the Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc., the not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting Long Island’s public liberal arts college.
Founded and now chaired by Nakyle Bethay, a 2011 graduate of the College’s Adolescence Education: Social Studies teacher education program, the Upsilon Mu Alumni Foundation, Inc. is a New York-based not-for-profit organization that aims to provide educational, economic, and social support to young adults from diverse communities of color.
“Many of us came to college from communities where money is hard to come by so we know ourselves the challenges students face today,” said Bethay. “By giving back in this way, we hope to help remove barriers, particularly for students from communities of color, to help improve their educational, financial and social outcomes.”
Named after Upsilon Mu (YM), the SUNY Old Westbury chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, the organization currently reports 70 members, and plans on engaging more YM alumni to support the mission of the YM Alumni Foundation, Inc.
“We thank the alumni of Upsilon Mu for giving of themselves to raise critical funds that can grow to help more and more students each year,” said Jeffrey Fischer-Smith, vice president for institutional advancement at SUNY Old Westbury and executive director of the Old Westbury Foundation, Inc. “This gift is evidence that generosity truly does cross generations.”
The donation was raised through Upsilon Mu Alumni Foundation’s first Scholarship Gala, a black tie affair held at Verdi’s of Westbury. On hand to accept the gift on behalf of the Foundation and College was Dr. Diana Sukhram, dean of the SUNY Old Westbury School of Education.
About the Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc.
The Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting SUNY Old Westbury in becoming a flagship comprehensive college in the SUNY system. Founded in 1968, the Foundation, solicits gifts, grants and endowments that enhance the educational, research and community service mission of the College. Funds raised through Foundation-managed events, solicitations, and real estate dealings help bridge the gap between tuition and operating expenses at the College, and ensure that Old Westbury students have the best educational experience possible.