Students Earn State University of New York’s Highest Honor
SUNY Schenectady is pleased to announce that Kessa Cooper, who earned her A.A.S. degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management in December 2025, and Yuliano Camarena, who earned his A.S. degree in Criminal Justice in December 2025, have been chosen as recipients of the 2026 SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence. They were honored with SUNY’s highest honor for academic excellence and leadership at a ceremony in Albany on April 27, along with 203 other students from all 64 SUNY campuses. The 2026 Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence (CASE) recognizes SUNY students for outstanding achievements in areas including academics; leadership; diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice; campus involvement; civics and service; research; and the arts. This is the highest honor SUNY provides to students for academic excellence and leadership. Kessa and Yuliano were nominated for the award by SUNY Schenectady officials.
About our CASE Award Recipients
Kessa Cooper with SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and SUNY Schenectady Chief of Staff Tiombé Tatum.
Kessa Cooper is a dedicated student, mother, and community member who is passionate about service and personal growth. While pursuing her education, she has remained actively involved in giving back to her community through volunteer work with local organizations that support individuals and families in need.
Her journey reflects resilience, determination, and a commitment to building a meaningful career while balancing family and professional responsibilities. She has not only been raising her son as a single mother while going to school part time and working part time, Kessa can also be found making meals that are distributed through the Capital District Rescue Mission or volunteering for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, planting seeds and harvesting vegetables for local food pantries. She brings her son with her sometimes. “I’m very big on giving back,” Kessa said. “It’s important for him to see what it looks like for people who aren’t in the position that we are.”
During her time at SUNY Schenectady, Kessa was named to the President’s and Dean’s Lists, and participated in TRIO and EOP.
In August 2023, while she was taking classes part-time, Kessa began working as a Administrative and Programs Coordinator for the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) where she assists in planning and organizing professional events. She credits NYSCOSS and Executive Director Charles Dedrick with giving her the support and flexibility with her hours to help her to the finish line at SUNY Schenectady. “If my employer did not give me the opportunity to go to school while working, it would have been very difficult to complete my degree. I’m very grateful that I had that.”
She and her son are members of her church, Empire Christian Center, which has also been a strong source of support for her. “My son and I have been surrounded by a great Christian community that also helps keep us grounded. My faith in Jesus Christ has given me the strength, favor, and the grace to get through every stage of my life and completing my degree. Finally, I want to thank my son Jayden for enduring this journey with me and being such an amazing and understanding young man.”
Kessa plans to continue her education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Event Management this fall through SUNY Delhi. She hopes to one day have her own events company.
Yuliano Camarena with SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and SUNY Schenectady Chief of Staff Tiombé Tatum.
Yuliano Camarena helped to organize a group of fellow students, teachers, and School Board members to advocate for free healthy meals for K-12 students throughout New York by lobbying state leaders while he was still a student at Mohonasen High School. He even testified during a New York State Joint Legislative Hearing for Elementary & Secondary Education in February 2023. Their efforts resulted in students across his district and eligible schools statewide being covered for free school meals through the state budget the following year, and Yuliano’s work as a community advocate and student leader hasn’t stopped.
While at SUNY Schenectady, he was Vice President of the Student Government Association (SGA), where he led discussions about enrollment efforts and SGA reforms. He served on the Student Clubs Committee and Budget Committee, chaired the Judicial Committee, and was named to the President’s and Dean’s Lists. While he was still in high school in 2022, Yuliano was an intern in Congressman Paul Tonko’s office. In 2023, he was an intern with Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara’s office; later that year, he was promoted to Legislative Aide and served in that role through most of his time at SUNY Schenectady before deciding to focus his time on school.
He decided to get involved in state government and student leadership roles following a family tragedy. “During COVID, I lost my uncle to suicide, and that was my call to go out and help,” Yuliano shared. He spoke about the loss of his uncle in 2022 during the March For Our Lives event in Albany. “I remember him saying, ‘We need more politicians who will care about the people and not the profits.’ His loss is what sparked my interest in government. Despite all its flaws, it can be a force of good for so many people. I hope that one day I can make sure no family has to go through what I had to go through.”
Yuliano is pursuing his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Legal Studies at the University at Albany. He plans to earn his bachelor’s degree by fall 2028, score high on the LSAT, and attend law school at Harvard University.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., said, “SUNY students are New York's future, and the outstanding individuals I am proud to recognize with the Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence embody the very best of our state university system. The students who have earned this recognition have inspired their classmates, their educators, their campuses and me with their inspiring work, tenacious drive, and dedication to their academic success. I commend each of the awardees and thank them for being examples for others to follow.”