The SUNY Old Westbury community celebrated the holiday season of giving by recognizing both those who have supported the campus and those students who benefitted directly when the Office of Institutional Advancement held its annual “Donors and Scholars Reception on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
The reception is held to provide students with the opportunity to connect with the benefactors who made possible the scholarships they had earned and the trustees of the Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc., the not-for-profit organization dedicated to generating philanthropic support for the University.
You are the leaders that this university is creating now...
Nora Bassett, chair, Old Westbury College Foundation, Inc.
“You are the leaders that this university is creating now,” said Foundation Chair Nora Bassett to the students in attendance as she espoused the importance of creating a network and finding a mentor. “We have great contacts. We can tell you how to navigate the cultures within the business world versus the medical world versus the media world.”
Citing the unique perspectives and backgrounds that each student brings to the campus, President Timothy Sams urged them to share their identities while networking.
“Tell some of us your story,” he said to the students. “Because it matters.”
Carlos Pineda ’26 is a first-generation student-athlete studying Criminology who intends to take his Law School Admission Test in February, attend law school, and become a personal injury attorney.
“I learned a lot,” he said of the networking opportunity where he spoke with an industry professional about his plans. “I was offered a lot of tips and a lot of important information I could use to take the LSAT.”
In addition to feeling grateful for the opportunity to network, Pineda also showed his gratitude for the ability to even pursue higher education.
“The reason why I’m going to school is because of the scholarship,” he said of his Old Westbury College Foundation Scholarship award.
Morgan Taylor, a recently appointed trustee of the Foundation, reflected on receiving a scholarship as a student at George Washington University, noting its importance on kickstarting her own college career and influence on her new title of trustee. Being given the chance to network with students, she said allows her to make a positive contribution to their professional careers beyond the philanthropic and leadership efforts she makes through the Foundation.
“Old Westbury is so unique in the sense that it feels like a family,” said Taylor, team president of the Long Island Nets of the G-League and vice president for operations for the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association. “I could really have an impact and be able to use my network and my expertise in my industry to help serve the school community.”
“The mission of the institution is to make sure that students are prepared for the real world and have a very strong foundation in social justice, access, and equity,” said Angela Wambugu Cobb, the campus’ vice president for Institutional Advancement and executive director of the Foundation. “The College Foundation aligns with that in terms of making sure our students have access to that education and the resources that they need to reach their goals.”
Wambugu Cobb expressed that this may be some students’ first opportunity to network. Giving them the ability to network for the first time with donors to their scholarships can help facilitate meaningful and rewarding connections.
Sheryl Jeanty ’26, a Biological Sciences major and participant in the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, has plans on becoming plant scientist. While her current vision includes graduate school and research opportunities, she found through the networking reception other ideas and avenues she can pursue within her field.
“It’s definitely a welcoming community, very diverse,” she said. "It opens my eyes to other career opportunities as well, not just my plant biology field. I think this is a very good event.”
Being a scholarship recipient helped assure her that her goals are attainable.
“I was worried about how I was going to apply to schools and where I was going to find the money,” said Jeanty, a winner of a Panther Pride Scholarship. "The scholarship boosted my confidence.”
