Five Towns College Sends Delegation Team to Albany

ftc in albany

The Five Towns College delegation in front of the New York State Capitol, Albany, New York
Front Row (l-r): Dean of Students Dr. Jennifer Albert, Deanna Probst, Acting President Dr. David M. Cohen, Daniella Wilson.
Back Row: Akia Williams, Justin Madonado, Anthony Nicoletti, James Frasca

 

Top of March 2016 and Five Towns College led a delegation including Acting President Dr. David Cohen, Dean of Students/Director of HEOP Dr. Jennifer Albert, and a six member student team to Albany to lobby for continued support of the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). The students who attended were: James Frasca, Film/Video; Daniella Wilson, Theatre Arts; Akia Williams, Business Management/Audio; Justin Maldonado, Business Management/Audio; Deanna Probst, Music Education; and Anthony Nicoletti, Music Education.

The event was hosted by the Association of Proprietary Colleges (APC), and students from participating colleges across the region joined together to thank their legislators for supporting TAP and to ask for continued support.

This was no one day event either. This great team of delegates “stormed” the Capitol for two days to advocate about the importance of the New York financial assistance programs. While voicing concerns about the continued need for the TAP program, FTC students also received a lesson in how the government conducts business. The experience to travel to New York’s Capitol and champion a cause of which some of them are beneficiaries was a wonderful educational opportunity.

FTC students had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Assemblyman Michael Blake following his keynote speech at the APC reception, and eleven additional Senators, Assemblymen, and legislative staff members the following day.

Five Towns College is a big supporter of state sponsored student services. In addition to participating in the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the College brags about its broad reaching academic support center. The FTC Academic Support Center administers the College’s HEOP, PASS, SCOPE and MORE programs. The College’s HEOP and its activities are supported, in whole or in part, by the New York State Education Department.