SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu knows firsthand the power of education to transform lives. A new scholarship will celebrate his leadership and provide opportunities to others.
A native of Nigeria, he survived a civil war and attended an elementary school whose bullet-ridden exterior was a vivid reminder of the damage caused by violence and by the inability to communicate effectively with other people.
Throughout his life, he channeled his energies on attending school, doing classwork, learning and expanding his understanding of the world. His education opened doors to a life that would have otherwise been unavailable to him. Simply stated – education transformed his life.
On Aug. 15, 2023, Nwosu became SUNY Oswego’s first president of color, and he will be officially inaugurated as the 11th president of SUNY Oswego on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
In honor of this momentous occasion in the university’s history and in support of his Vision 4040 to provide access and opportunity to more SUNY Oswego students, the university has created the Transforming Lives Scholarships Fund. The university seeks to raise support for one of his top priorities –- student scholarships.
“What better way to welcome our new president than helping to support his vision of making a SUNY Oswego education accessible to more students,” said Vice President of University Advancement Mary Gibbons Canale ’81. “Our Laker community understands the life-changing significance of higher education and the impact that our caring university community makes in our students’ lives. To this day, many alumni can trace their own success back to the relationships, learning and experiences that they had at SUNY Oswego. We invite you to help create these opportunities for others while honoring our new president.”
You can make a gift to the scholarship fund via this link.
Vice President for Enrollment Management Cory M. Bezek said financial support is one of the top factors students consider when deciding whether to enroll at SUNY Oswego. The Transforming Lives Scholarship Fund would enable the university to provide support to incoming students that could be the difference between whether they decide to become part of the Laker community.
“This is particularly true for our first-generation college students who can shy away from taking on substantial loans without recognizing what opportunities become available to them with a college degree,” Bezek said. "But even for students whose parents did attend college, they heavily weigh the financial aid package and student loan debt in determining where to enroll."
During his inaugural State of the University last September, President Nwosu announced Vision 4040: Expanding SUNY Oswego’s Promise –- a bold plan that seeks to double the annual number of graduates by 2040 to meet the needs of the Central New York region.
Supporting the Transforming Lives Scholarship Fund can provide an immediate impact on Oswego students and celebrate this milestone in the university’s history. If you are interested in establishing a named endowed scholarship, please contact the Office of University Advancement at 315-312-3003.
-- Submitted by University Advancement