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Outstanding SUNY Canton Graduate

Will Pursue Doctorate Degree

SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy (left) gives Erica LaPierre of Mooers Forks her Outstanding Graduate Award at the 2006 Kermit D. Morgan Honors Convocation.

After earning her associate and bachelor's degrees at SUNY Canton, Mooers Forks native Erica LaPierre will now pursue her doctorate degree at SUNY Upstate Medical in Syracuse.

LaPierre was named SUNY Canton's Baccalaureate Level Outstanding Graduate during the 2006 Kermit D. Morgan Honors Convocation and will be recognized again during the 2006 Commencement Ceremonies on May 20.

LaPierre, a 2002 graduate of Northeastern Clinton Central School, will be graduating with a Baccalaureate Degree in Health Services Management. She previously earned an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences: General Studies with highest honors in 2004. LaPierre is currently completing an internship at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg. Next year, she will be starting her Doctorate Degree of Physical Therapy at SUNY Upstate Medical in Syracuse. "With my doctorate and baccalaureate degrees, I will have the option of running my own practice or even a department in a hospital," LaPierre said.

Every year of LaPierre's education has been accompanied by a SUNY Canton College Foundation Scholarship. She was a 2002 recipient of the Charles W. Johnson Scholarship, a 2002 and 2003 recipient of the John Halford Sr. Scholarship, a 2004 recipient of the Elaine Claxton Pidgeon Scholarship, and a 2005 recipient of the Albert French Scholarship.

She has been extremely involved with activities and organizations at SUNY Canton. LaPierre has been active with the SUNY Canton Alumni and Development Office and assisted with alumni reunions and fundraising activities. She was also inducted into Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society in 2002. She has been a math lab tutor, a resident assistant, an orientation leader, and a member of the running club.

"Erica has been an amazing asset to the Residence Life Office," said Courtney Battista, SUNY Canton Director of Residence Life. "She does everything with conviction and a smile. She is determined and will succeed at whatever she does."

LaPierre also helped Christopher Marquart, Residence Hall Director, orchestrate a "Run for Relief" Hurricane Katrina fundraiser. "Erica has demonstrated an extreme degree of maturity, organization, and interpersonal skills," Marquart said. Alexander Ortiz, one of LaPierre's classmates added, "Erica is one of the people who make SUNY Canton feel like home."

LaPierre said she chose SUNY Canton because of the friendly atmosphere she experienced during her initial visit to campus. "Weeks later I was amazed to find staff members that not only had remembered seeing me, but they remembered my name, major, and the conversation we had," she said. "The staff and teachers know you as a person, not a number."

LaPierre was one of almost 200 students to receive scholarship assistance from the SUNY Canton College Foundation last year. The College Foundation provided more than $260,000 in aid to students last year and more than $30,000 in development awards to faculty and staff members.

SUNY Canton is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year and is in the midst of its highly successful SUNY Canton Centennial Campaign: Cultivating the Minds of Tomorrow. In addition to 25 associate degree programs, SUNY Canton currently offers 10 four-year degrees with plans to announce several other new programs during the next academic year. SUNY Canton also offers three unique master's degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. The College has recently embarked upon articulation agreements with Lomonosov Moscow State University and Osaka College of Foreign Languages and International Business in Japan, allowing international scholars the ability to obtain a SUNY Canton degree locally or abroad.

May 11, 2006

Media inquiries should be directed to Greg Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7527.

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