Newsletter November 2019

An HEOP Family Reunion

It feels like a big family reunion.

A lot of smiles. A lot of laughter. And questions like “what are you doing now?”

Close to 50 current RIT students and alumni helped celebrate during the 50th anniversary reception for RIT’s Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)October 18th on campus.

They used words like family, success, opportunity and community to describe their personal experiences while they were in the program.

HEOP was established by the New York State Legislature in 1969.

When G.Peter Jemison was a little boy, maybe 4 or 5 years old, he would grab his grandmother's hand and accompany her on what seemed in his young mind, a very important mission. He didn't fully understand it at the time, but she did.

Jemison grew up in Irving, NY, which borders the Cattaraugus Reservation. He is a member of the Heron Clan of the Seneca.

“Thank you for your service” and “Happy Veterans Day”.

Those are the words that greeted some 400 Rochester area veterans and their families as they streamed into the RIT Gordon Field House for the 9th annual Veterans Day Breakfast on Monday, November 11th.

The tribute to veterans began nine years ago. Specialist or “spec 4” Tom O’Conner hasn’t missed one yet. The 82 year old says it’s a chance to reunite with old friends, some who served as he did and some who did not.  O’Conner an RIT retiree, spent four years in the U.S Army, based in Germany during the Vietnam War.

Looking to enhance your cultural humility? Then, sign up for workshops being facilitated by Dr. Taj Smith, director of Diversity Education. Spring 2020 workshops are now available by logging into Talent Roadmap. Type "cultural humility" into the search engine and click on "instructor-led" under Delivery Type and a list of workshop options will appear.

The Class of ’69: RIT’s Newest Golden Circle Alumni

More than 200 RIT Alumni gathered to share memories and pay homage to their classmates at the Golden Circle Alumni Luncheon October 18th at Locust Hill Country Club.

It’s all part of Brick City Homecoming weekend which draws so many former students to return to campus.  The luncheon, hosted by the Division of Development and Alumni Relations honors graduates celebrating 50 years or more. They are called Golden Circle alumni.

The email came in June.
It was from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Plans were underway to have CNN’S Anderson Cooper as the keynote speaker for Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend in October.
Cooper would prefer to be interviewed rather than give a speech. Would I agree to be the interviewer?

Clayton Turner, RIT '90 is the new Director of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He was named to the position in September after serving four years as deputy director. His focus? Space exploration.

Turner graduated from RIT with a degree in Electrical Engineering and says that's where he "found his passion."

David Benitez, RIT’S assistant director for Rochester City Scholars and MOCHA received the Rochester City School District Volunteer Education Award during Hispanic Heritage month in October.

Benitez is a graduate of Rochester’s Franklin High School. In addition to his work with students at RIT, Benitez has been volunteering at agencies like the United Way and the YMCA since 1992, helping Latino graduates.