Senate Resolution No. 2968

BY: Senator METZGER

COMMENDING Lonniece McDonald upon the occasion of
being inducted into the 2020 SUNY New Paltz School
of Business Hall of Fame as Student Leader of the
Year

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those young people within the great Empire State who have
made strong contributions to their communities and who serve as role
models for their peers; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend Lonniece McDonald upon the occasion of being inducted into the
2020 SUNY New Paltz School of Business Hall of Fame as Student Leader of
the Year, to be celebrated with an Induction Ceremony on Wednesday,
April 22, 2020, at the Grandview, Poughkeepsie, New York; and

WHEREAS, Lonniece McDonald was born and raised in Brooklyn, New
York, by a single mother who instilled in her the value of hard work and
education; and

WHEREAS, A Finance major at SUNY New Paltz with a minor in Spanish,
Lonniece McDonald has truly distinguished herself as a young woman of
superlative ability, establishing a high standard of academic excellence
and purposefulness of life rarely achieved in youthful years; and

WHEREAS, In January of 2018, Lonniece McDonald was inducted into
Beta Gamma Sigma, an International Business Honor Society which
recognizes top performing students from around the world who are
enrolled in a business school accredited by The Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); and

WHEREAS, Throughout her illustrious collegiate career at SUNY New
Paltz, Lonniece McDonald has been the recipient of the School of
Business Hall of Fame Scholarship for two consecutive years, and on the
Dean's list every semester; she has also been a member of the school's
Honors Program since August of 2017; and

WHEREAS, Lonniece McDonald serves as President of the Business
Association for Students of Color (BASC), where she has connected her
fellow students with countless career, networking and business
opportunities; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, as a member of the Diversity Task Force, she
worked with students to help plan and present a DIFFvelopment workshop,
exposing more than 50 students of color to topics including business,
entrepreneurship, income disparities and generational wealth; and

WHEREAS, Lonniece McDonald has served as the Vice President of
Finance for the Student Association since June of 2019; in this
capacity, she is responsible for allocating and accounting for a $1.3
million budget for student clubs and organizations; and

WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering commitment to her
community, Lonniece McDonald has given tirelessly of her time and
energies to numerous campus initiatives, including two Make-a-Difference
Day events and the First Year Internship Program; she also volunteers at
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and other local pantries with New York Cares;
and

WHEREAS, In achieving this esteemed recognition, Lonniece McDonald
may take just pride in the inspiration and contribution to the spirit of
excellence she brings to her family, friends, community and school; and

WHEREAS, It has always been the objective of this Legislative Body
to honor and support those individuals who have displayed their
commitment to education and to the betterment of their communities, and
it is the intent of this Legislative Body to inscribe upon its records,
this tribute to Lonniece McDonald, that future generations may know and
appreciate her admirable character, her many benevolent deeds, and the
respect and esteem in which she is held by her peers; now, therefore, be
it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Lonniece McDonald upon the occasion of being inducted into the
2020 SUNY New Paltz School of Business Hall of Fame as Student Leader of
the Year, and to extend to her the best wishes of this Legislative Body
for a future of purposeful success and well-being; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Lonniece McDonald.