Four Students Named Recipients of Prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award

April 5, 2024

Four Hudson Valley Community College students were named recipients of the State University of New York’s Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, one of the highest student honors awarded by the SUNY system, which acknowledges students for outstanding academic and community service achievements. The students will be honored during a SUNY awards ceremony on Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 2 p.m.

This year’s award recipients are Ameera Aftab, a Liberal Arts and Sciences student from Rensselaer; Lukas Donaghue, a Liberal Arts and Sciences student from Lithuania; Josephine O’Hare, a Physical Education Studies student from Greeneville; and Brady Oles, an Engineering Science student from Chatham.

“These four students exemplify what leaders should be, and I am pleased that their dedication and hard work is being recognized with the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence,” said Roger Ramsammy, president of Hudson Valley Community College. “Their academic strength and commitment to community engagement has enriched our community in many different ways, and I am so proud to congratulate them and share in their recognition.”

Ameera Aftab

Ameera Aftab is a second-year Liberal Arts and Sciences - Humanities and Social Science student on a Communications (Media) track who has demonstrated a strong passion for higher education leadership and advocacy. She was elected as the Student Senate Freshman Class President during her first year at the college and as the Student Senate President and Student Trustee in her second year. She was also elected as a Community College Representative for the SUNY Student Assembly, representing the statewide interests of community college students throughout New York.

A native of Pakistan, Aftab worked to increase diversity, equity and inclusion on campus by supporting events like the student Pride Ball, restarting the Muslim Student Association and volunteering with Every Campus a Refuge.

A member of Phi Theta Kappa, Aftab leads and participates in community service events on campus and in the greater community. In addition to the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, she earned the Outstanding Student Leadership Award at Hudson Valley.

Lukas Donaghue

Donaghue was born in Lithuania and lived in Brazil before moving to the Capital Region in 2021 and pursuing his Associate Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences – Humanities and Social Science at Hudson Valley. Maintaining a GPA of 3.86, he has earned several honors for academic excellence, such as the 2022-2023 Dr. Joseph J. Bulmer Award for Excellence in Library Research, the 2023 Environmental Stewardship Award from the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Physics as well as the 2022 Spirit Award from the Learning Centers where he has served as an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor for three semesters.

Donaghue is actively involved in campus life and serves as the treasurer of the Student Senate, a member of the Academic Senate, a student representative for the Faculty Student Association, treasurer of Phi Theta Kappa and vice president of the Investment Club.

Josephine O’Hare

A student athlete on the women’s soccer and basketball teams, O’Hare has dedicated herself to athletics while maintaining academic excellence and engaging in volunteer activities during her time at Hudson Valley. She was named to the NJCAA Region 3 and National Player of the Week rosters and the Spring 2023 and Fall 2022 President’s lists. She has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.84 and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa national honor society for community colleges.

In addition, O’Hare is recognized for her community volunteer service and engagement at college events such as the Race Away Stigma 5K mental health awareness run, and for the Albany Tulip Court Association in the greater community.

Brady Oles

An Engineering Science major, Oles has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.78 and achieved placement on the President’s List each semester. He has also contributed to the college and student life by serving as secretary of the Student Senate which earned him the Outstanding Student Leadership Award from Hudson Valley in 2023. He served as president of the Engineering Science Club, was a student representative on Academic Senate and co-chair of the Student Senate programming board. Oles also collaborated across various departments to promote the creation of HVCC’s first state-of-the-art Makerspace, served as a peer tutor for calculus and computer information systems and was recognized by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as an exceptional intern for its Summer 2023 program.

Oles is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa and collaborates with Pastors on Patrol to help efforts to ensure public safety in the community.