Two SUNY Plattsburgh Students Awarded SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence

Two SUNY Plattsburgh seniors were among 205 students across all 64 SUNY campuses to receive the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.

The awards recognize SUNY students for outstanding achievements in academics; leadership; diversity; equity, inclusion and social justice; campus involvement; civics and service; research; and the arts. It is the highest honor the state system provides to students for academic excellence and leadership.

Biological sciences major Alison Hebert of Brushton, N.Y., was nominated for the award by Allison Swick-Duttine, director of fraternity and sorority life and student volunteerism. Reg Sutphen, theater, music and theatrical production and technology major from Oakland, Calif., were nominated by Dr. Shawna Mefferd Kelty, associate professor and chair of theater, and Ashley Durocher, director of TRIO Student Support Services.

Hebert said that SUNY Plattsburgh was not her first choice for college, “but in a twist of fate, I committed to the university because of the opportunities it presented to me,” she said.

“The biological sciences program caught my attention with the various lab work opportunities, which really piqued my interest as a woman in STEM. I knew that even though my path was not what I initially planned, I was in for the adventure of a lifetime.”

‘Fulfilled Expectations’

She said the university “fulfilled my expectations by giving me opportunities that allowed me to reach my full potential in all sorts of areas.”

“From leadership through sorority life to academic research (and) honor societies, I was exposed to all sorts of experiences that helped me to adapt my skills in leadership, problem-solving, critical thinking, and writing that I would have never been able to do if I had not become a Cardinal,” Hebert said.

Sutphen’s journey to SUNY Plattsburgh was also off the usual path to college.

“My family moved to Florida when I was 13; five years later, I became unhoused in my senior year of high school,” he said. “At the time, I was focused on survival. I was living with a friend until I graduated, and I was looking for where to go next — ideally in another state.”

Sutphen was looking for a school with a comprehensive music program that wouldn’t have what he called “an entry barrier.” An online search brought him to SUNY Plattsburgh.

‘One of the Best Decisions’

“After some of my mother’s friends encouraged me to enter the SUNY system, I decided to take a chance,” he said. “It ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've met so many incredible people both in our campus community and off campus, and I built something for myself that I never would have thought was possible.”

He was still unsure what he was hoping for when he arrived, he said.

“After leaving Florida, I was no longer focused on survival; my new journey was learning how to live. All I knew was that I wanted to heal, grow and learn about music and theater, two passions I’ve held since childhood,” he said. “I’m happy to report that I’ve surpassed my own expectations, and I have even been able to find success in the field of professional performance, which is a notoriously difficult place to break into.”

‘Inspired Classmates, Educators’

“SUNY students are New York’s future, and the outstanding individuals I am proud to recognize with the (award) embody the very best of our state university system,” said Chancellor John King. “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.”

Swick-Duttine agreed. Hebert served as president of the Inter-Sorority Association during 2025 where she was responsible for directing activity of the peer-led governance council of the university’s eight sororities, coordinating the executive board in executing their vision and goals, and facilitating bi-weekly conversations with sorority presidents and with Interfraternity Council officers.

She said that SUNY Plattsburgh set the bar high for these students in this position. They are required to:

• Go through an extensive interview and election process
• Complete more than 40 hours of training before assuming office
• Participate in several external leadership experiences
• Represent the sorority community to the administration
• Be available for approximately 10 hours of meetings, office hours and leadership development experiences weekly
• Develop and facilitate a succession and training plan for the incoming officers
• Be a role model to the entire fraternity/sorority community

“Alison has exceeded expectations in every one of these areas,” Swick-Duttine said. “Her ability to think strategically about the current and long-term impact of sorority membership, her skill at listening intently and calmly to constructive — and not-so-constructive — feedback, her initiative in seeking guidance from external resources and her talent at challenging her peers to live up to higher expectations that they, themselves, create is second to none.”

‘Valuable Lessons’

For her part, Hebert thanked Swick-Duttine as well as Dr. Megan Valentine, assistant professor of biological sciences, “two amazing women who were able to mentor me during my time as a student and taught me valuable lessons that will follow me into the professional world,” she said.

Mefferd Kelty praised Sutphen as an outstanding leader, saying that “if change is possible, Reg takes steps to make where we are better for everyone.” As a double major, honors student and member and officer for multiple honor societies, “they also demonstrate good boundaries and self-care as a student and as a creative collaborator,” she said.

In selecting roles, they always do so “with an aim of representation and what story is being told or needs to be told,” Mefferd Kelty said. Having played Violet in “9 to 5 the Musical,” they also participated in a community talkback session on women and work, she said.

“As a queer, non-binary, Black feminist in the North Country of New York, their words and perspectives were vital to the conversation, and they bring that perspective to every project they engage in within the theater department and our College Theatre Association,” she said.

Reactivated Theater Honor Society Alpha Psi Omega

Ever active in broadening their understanding and experiences as an artist, Sutphen participated in a Washington Performing Arts internship in D.C., last summer, as well as myriad other activities, honors programs and events. What Mefferd Kelty called Sutphen’s “lasting legacy” is their reactivation of SUNY Plattsburgh’s chapter of Alpha Psi Omega.

“They single-handedly worked to do this, finding both faculty and peer collaborators, rewriting the bylaws to be more inclusive, recognizing that their peers engage in theater and performance in a variety of ways that cross arts areas but still intertwined with theater,” she said. They hosted the first induction ceremony in a decade, “all thanks to Reg and their belief that inclusion matters and if those spaces don’t exist, they will build them.”

Durocher cited his activity in TRIO Student Support Services, saying they’ve been an active participant throughout their time at SUNY Plattsburgh, “and they exemplify the highest standard of student excellence through their consistent engagement, initiative, and persistence,” she said. “In addition to balancing an academically and creatively demanding course load, Reg has sought opportunities for leadership development, campus involvement and service-based learning, using support systems effectively while also giving back to the broader campus community.”

Career in Counseling

“I truly feel as though I've followed my dreams,” Sutphen said. “I can confidently say that I have also learned to take care of myself, and that has inspired me to pursue a career in counseling; my goal is to help adolescents who may be in my younger self's shoes.”

Thanking Mefferd Kelty, Erika Guay, theater professor, and Timothy Morningstar, lecturer in the music department, they also thanked Durocher, who they say “has been there for me since the very beginning of my collegiate journey.

“I clearly remember my first day at TRIO, crying in her office because I was finally able to get the support that I needed after experiencing hardship,” Sutphen said. “Ever since then, she has been a key part of my success, always offering great counsel and providing resources and support that have brought me to where I am today. I'm very lucky to have such incredible mentors on this campus.”

For Hebert, SUNY Plattsburgh “has become a place that I am so sad to say goodbye to, but it has truly prepared me to take on the world and become the best version of myself. I cannot thank everyone involved in my journey enough for how they’ve contributed to my success,” she said.

The Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence were presented at a ceremony in Albany April 27.

— Story by Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs with Photos Provided