Recent Graduate Earns Prestigious Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence

Congratulations to Yarisa Cueva who was recognized on March 9 as a recipient of the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for Student Excellence during an awards ceremony hosted by SUNY. She was one of 49 students in SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) honored with the award that recognizes outstanding EOP students from SUNY campuses for their academic merit and perseverance. 

“Over nearly 60 years, SUNY’s EOP has supported tens of thousands of students and empowered them to achieve their full potential,” SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said. “I am honored to recognize this year's recipients of the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. Our McConney award winners’ hard work as they move forward on their path to academic excellence and upward mobility makes them an inspiration for all of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators.”

Yarisa graduated with her Health Studies Certificate in December 2025 and is taking more classes here this spring semester. She plans to transfer to the Belanger School of Nursing this fall to become an R.N., sharing, “I had experiences in the hospital and I watched the nurses and their level of patient care. It made a big impression on me, so I decided to pursue nursing. I want to be in a field that helps other people.”

A 2020 graduate of Schenectady High School, Yarisa has excelled academically, having been named to the President’s List. In addition to being involved with EOP, TRIO, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and the Anime Club, Yarisa has been a student worker with the Liberty Partnerships Program for the past two years, working with local middle school students during afterschool activities, summer programs, and college visits. 

She credits supports at the College with helping her to succeed, from weekly tutoring sessions and meetups with EOP success coaches to many conversations with Director of EOP Michael Henderson and LPP Program Administrator Melanie Uebele packed with good advice for school and life. But her biggest support has come from her friends and family: her mother Francis, father Rafael, four sisters Dulcely,  Vernisha, Erica, and Michelle, and two brothers Ralph and Ima. “My Mother has provided the value of love and always telling me, ‘Try your best. Be more. Strive for more. Make sure you can depend on yourself. Get your degree.’ And my brother Ralph was a big inspiration. I saw what he did by getting a scholarship to Union College, graduating with his degree in Mechanical Engineering, and now working as a project director.”

The McConney Award is named in memory of Norman R. McConney, Jr. (1946–2016), a graduate of the University at Albany and former Assistant Dean for Special Programs at SUNY. McConney, alongside former Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve, helped create the EOP as a statewide program.