SUNY Old Westbury leaders and students recently celebrated “2026 ACE Momentum Day,” a kickoff event for the new academic year for those students participating in the Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) program at the campus.
Now in its second year on campus, ACE provides access to eligible students to a wide array of resources and support to help them overcome barriers that can prevent them from obtaining a degree. This includes funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation, and other costs of attendance, as well as comprehensive personalized advisement, academic support, and career development activities.
For the 2026-27 academic year, ACE enrollment at SUNY Old Westbury doubled to 300 students through funding made available by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and state leaders through the 2026-27 state budget. This expansion of the program extends access to dedicated degree-completion support, helping more eligible students navigate college, connect with resources, and work toward their academic and professional goals.
Our goal in ACE is to ensure every student feels affirmed, supported, and connected to a community and resources that will help them thrive in the classroom and beyond."
- Rason Myhand, director, ACE
With hundreds of students in attendance, “2026 Momentum Day” centered on the themes of persistence and student engagement.
As SUNY Old Westbury ACE Director Rason Myhand noted: “Our goal in ACE is to ensure every student feels affirmed, supported, and connected to a community and resources that will help them thrive in the classroom and beyond. If you lose momentum, you're not starting over. You're starting from experience."
University President Timothy Sams echoed that sentiment while urging the students not to miss any chance they have to grow and excel.
"There's no mystery about what it takes for you to be successful,” he said. “Seize opportunities, exploit them, take full advantage of them."
Data from ACE shows that its students are definitely taking advantage. SUNY has established an 85 percent engagement benchmark for each semesterly reporting period in its first year. SUNY Old Westbury’s ACE students exceeded the benchmark with 85.2 percent for fall 2025 and 90.7 percent for spring 2026.
Engagement in this metric is calculated based on participation in co- and extra-curricular events, involvement in monthly ACE workshops, and attendance in individual advising appointments with ACE counselors.
“These figures highlight our students' continued engagement with the program and their efforts to stay connected to the support and resources available to them,” said Myhand.
Students also offered testimony to the program’s value during “Momentum Day” and urged the newly enrolled students in attendance to maximize the support available to them.
"I really didn't know exactly where I wanted to go, but I thought I did," said Antonio Dash ’27, a Biochemistry major and a second-year ACE student. "Even so, it's amazing to have a support system to get you to the place you want to go."
Kaylah Dhaiti ’29, a Psychology major and also in her second year with ACE, talked about finding her sense of belonging and community through ACE.
"ACE definitely became that first community on campus for me," she said. "I'm incredibly grateful for the journey that ACE has given me, and I'm really excited to see where I go next."
A sense of support and community was also what resonated with Biological Sciences major Alishba Siddiqui ‘29.
"You don't have to feel alone,” she said. "Whether you're figuring something out for the first time, or you just want someone who understands you, you can really rely on ACE for that."
Irvin Peraza ‘28, a second-year ACE student who transferred to SUNY Old Westbury for its School of Business, summed up the ACE student experience
"Tenacity is built, it's earned day by day, and that's what momentum is," said Peraza. “The biggest lesson I learned in the ACE program is that the worst thing to lose is momentum."