The Student Union Theater was transformed into a center of recognition for academic excellence and personal achievement on Friday afternoon, when over 400 students from UB's Educational Opportunity Program were honored.
EOP is designed to help talented students who are economically or educationally underprivileged to succeed at UB through admissions, financial and scholastic assistance.
"My (EOP) counselor understands my need and cares about me," said Choi Ha Lau, a senior accounting and finance major, who received the Percy Sutton Award for academic achievement at Friday's ceremony.
A slideshow highlighting the numerous activities in which EOP students participate began the packed 29th Annual EOP Awards Ceremony and Honors Convocations.
The Percy Sutton Award is named after the director of the Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) program, a precursor to the EOP program. The EOP director, Henry Durand, and the EOP staff give this award, which acknowledges outstanding academic achievement.
Two other major award recipients joined Choi Ha Lau on stage - Reginal Jacinthe, a senior interdisciplinary major in the social sciences who won the Arthur O. Eve Award for extraordinary perseverance in overcoming obstacles, and Darryl Collins, residence hall intern and winner of the newly created William R. Greiner Leadership Award.
Other award categories included high academic achievement in the fall 2002 and spring 2003 semester, statewide awards for cumulative GPAs of 3.0 and higher and the Latin honors of Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude. Students featured in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges" were also recognized.
Honoree Lau gave a speech crediting the program with giving her the opportunity to overcome the shame of being a recently immigrated minority.
In her speech, Lau described the difficulties in moving from Hong Kong to the United States at age 16.
"My life started from zero," she said.
UB and the EOP program meant a new life academically and emotionally for Choi Ha Lau who learned that "it's OK to be a minority student."
Lau has maintained a 3.9 GPA while remaining active as a peer mentor in the School of Management and EOP, a volunteer for UB Spring Open House, and a participating member in her church and UB accounting associations.
The ceremony also commemorated two "Friends of EOP," the Associate Director of the Student Response Center Annette D. Pyszcynski and President William R. Greiner.
"I am proud of my involvement in the community and with EOP," said Greiner upon receiving his Friends of EOP award.
Greiner applauded the EOP program in his ceremony address.
"(EOP) gave a whole lot of help to a whole lot of people, and our nation and state are better for it," he said.
Greiner said he was honored have an annual award given in his namesake, the newly created William R. Greiner Leadership Award.
Darryl Collins was the winner of this new award that recognized his extraordinary effort and dedication to EOP, the university and the community at large.
An active member of the Army Reserve, Collins is on the National Dean's List, is an EOP math tutor, and is involved in Group Legal Services. Collins recently received his U.S. Army deployment orders and will leave for Kosovo in the coming weeks.
H. William Coles III, assistant vice provost for Academic Affairs of the EOP program, recognized EOP mentors and graduate assistants, as well as EOP students in leadership and athletics.
Mentors and graduate assistants help EOP students integrate into UB's social and academic community. EOP's 86 mentors work with up to three students each.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
