Rebecca Cozzocrea

Although your high school student’s senior year has just begun, now is the time to start thinking about them going off to college in the fall of 2013.  I know it is hard to believe, and even harder to start thinking about paying those tuition bills, but now is the perfect time to start gathering all the information you need to make the best possible financial choice for you and your child.  How do you do this?  First, start with research.

The Internet is a wonderful tool for research as there are an abundant amount of helpful websites regarding funding your child’s education and actually finding the best possible college for your child.  Websites to visit include www.studentaid.ed.gov, www.hesc.com, www.collegeboard.org, and www.fastweb.com, to name a few.  At those same websites you can begin to find information on scholarship searches to assist with the cost of college.

Secondly, as a parent with a child heading off to college, you should attend one of FM’s “High School Financial Aid Information Sessions.”  Beginning the first week in November, Financial Aid Advisor Moira Samek and I are scheduled to bring all the latest information to you and your student during these sessions.  Whether your child plans on attending FM, another SUNY campus, or even a private college, Moira and I will steer you in the right direction as you navigate your path to finding the right college at the right price. 

During the session, you can expect to find out which financial forms you need to file such as FAFSA, TAP, or Profile; learn when to file them; and, learn what you should be looking for as well as those items to avoid!  We will provide an in-depth presentation that reviews the forms, the types of financial aid available, and what to do if there are special circumstances your family may be encountering.  There will also be plenty of time to ask questions on a one-on-one basis following the session.

High School Financial Aid Sessions will be held on FM’s main campus, 2805 State Highway 67, Johnstown in the College Theatre from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  If you wish to take a tour of FM’s campus, tours will be available beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Light refreshments will be provided at each presentation. 

Although a date has been designated for each particular high school, please note that you are more than welcome to attend an evening that fits your schedule.  Dates include:  Monday, November 5, designated for Galway, Wells, and Northville High School students and parents; Wednesday, November 14, designated for Amsterdam, Broadalbin-Perth, and Mayfield High School students and parents; Wednesday, November 28, designated for Fonda, Johnstown, and Gloversville High School students and parents; and Monday, December 3, designated for Fort Plain, St. Johnsville, and Canajoharie High School students and parents.

Please join us and bring all of your questions.  We will be happy to answer them the best we can.  If you cannot attend a session, you are always welcome to call our office at (518) 736-FMCC (3622).

Rebecca Cozzocrea is Coordinator of Financial Aid at FM.

On Tuesday, April 10, “Start Your Future with a Degree in Nursing or Radiologic Technology” by attending the information session presented by Robert Warner, Associate Professor, Director of Nursing; Cynthia Close, Assistant Professor, Director of Health Professions; and Karlyn La Bate, Radiologic Technology Instructor. The session will be held in the college’s Classroom Building, Room C-008.

On Thursday, April 19, “Start Your Future with a Degree in Multimedia Technology” by attending the information session presented by Robert Renda Jr., Assistant Professor, Multimedia Technology. The session will be held in the Classroom Building, Room C-019.

On Tuesday, April 24, “Start Your Future with a Degree in Criminal Justice” by attending the information session presented by Paul Giudilli, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice; and John Armstrong, Instructor, Criminal Justice. The session will be held in the Classroom Building, Room C-108.

On Thursday, April 26, “Start Your Future with a Degree in Early Childhood Education” by attending the information session presented by Sheryl Seppa, Professor, Early Childhood Education. The session will be held in the Classroom Building, Room L-015.

For further information or to reserve your space, call FM’s Admissions Office at (518) 736-FMCC (3622), ext. 8301.

In photo left to right: Melvin Seeley, Ronald Huble, Patrick Morton III, Duane Rhodes, Mark Warner, and Technology Instructor Jeremy Spraggs

Employees of Benjamin Moore in Johnstown recently completed a customized Industrial Electrical Maintenance course at FM. The course covered topics involved with the operation and upkeep of industrial equipment and systems. In the hands-on portion, employees became adept at working with the automated equipment in the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Lab and were able to troubleshoot typical problems they encounter in manufacturing.

For more information on customized training opportunities for local employers, please contact FM’s Center for Employer Services at (518) 424-9370.

 Fulton-Montgomery Community College’s Student Government Association (SGA) is a group of student leaders, voted into office by their peers, who represent FM’s student population as a whole.  Basically, they are the “voice” of all students, sharing concerns and ideas to campus administration to assist with enhancing the educational and extracurricular offerings at FM.

 “We have some key goals this year,” says SGA President Marie Thomas.  “The SGA Executive Board is a brand new, fresh group of students who are committed to making positive changes for FM and its students.”  One of these goals, Marie tells us, is an eco-friendly FM campus.  “We would like to see hydration stations placed throughout the campus,” says Marie, explaining that the hydration stations are similar to water fountains, allowing students to actually fill and refill water bottles rather than continuously try to tip their bottle under the small water fountain nozzle or have to purchase more plastic bottles.

 “We’d also like to see the outdoor lights on-campus replaced with 40 LED inserts rather than the 70 LED inserts which are now in place,” says SGA Student Trustee Frank Ryan, Jr.  “This is being done in Los Angeles and it is saving the city thousands of dollars.  It’s eco-friendly and it will save the campus a lot of money.”

 The group of leaders, including Vice President Busch Brock, Secretary Sarah Puffer, Treasurer Gina Terrell, Freshman Senator Ashley Horning, and Sophomore Senator Son Nguyen, were all in agreement with making FM a completely smoke-free campus.  “We know there will be some opposition to this but we are thinking of the general health of the entire campus community,” says Son.  “We’re making efforts to bring this to fruition.”

 On-campus accessibility is also at the forefront of SGA’s goal listing for the year. “As a nursing student, one of my classes included seeing what it is like to be in a wheelchair or on crutches for a day,” says Sarah.  “And although FM does meet the standard requirements for New York State regarding accessibility for disabled students, there is still more that can be done.  We need to make everyone aware of the challenges disabled students face and do what we can to improve facilities for them.  We will be hosting a ‘Disability Awareness Day’ in the very near future.”

“We definitely want students and the campus community to know that we (SGA) exist and are doing what we can to make changes for the better at FM,” says Marie.  “We are charging ourselves with becoming more visible to the campus community and would like to have more communication with campus leadership.” 

 Part of this is accomplished through SGA’s monthly senate meetings in which clubs and organizations send a representative (or senator) to discuss and vote on expenditures and events.  The group also has monthly lunch meetings with FM President Dr. Dustin Swanger and Vice President for Student Affairs Jane Kelley to be sure all are on the same page with new ventures and ideas.

 “We will work every day to earn students’ trust and serve with the utmost integrity,” says Marie.  “We welcome feedback and suggestions from anyone who’d like to share with us.”  To contact FM’s SGA Officers, email them at sga1@fmcc.edu or call 736-FMCC, ext. 7-2402.

Amy Radik is Coordinator of Public Relations & Marketing at FM.

Thursday September 22, 2011:  The Hospital along, with its partners, is hosting a public event featuring the Browns, September 22, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at Fulton-Montgomery Community College’s College Union Building.

About Johnny Mac & Jeanne Brown and the Remember Alex Brown Foundation: Seventeen-year-old Alex Brown epitomized the All-American girl — beautiful, smart, vivacious and beloved by everyone who knew her. Tragically her life and her dream of a career in broadcast journalism were cut short: In November 2009, she was killed in a single car accident. Those left behind include Alex’s brave parents and her amazing younger sister. Dedicated to making sure no other family suffers such heartbreaking loss, the Browns turned their tragedy into something constructive, and today they travel to high schools to remind young people of the dangers of distracted driving. Their goal is simple: They want to save lives. They have now been seen on the TODAY show, Oprah, and Extreme Home Make Over.

Helpful links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjiFmiF-VlE

http://rememberalexbrownfoundation.org/

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Parents-of-Alex-Brown-Share-Their-Story-Video

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/44240337#44240337

Research on distracted driving reveals some surprising facts:

• 20 percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA).
• Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashed, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes). (NHTSA)
• In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving. (FARS and GES)
• The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. (NHTSA)
• Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Using a cell phone use while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (Source: University of Utah)

For further information, contact the College’s Foundation Office at (518) 736-FMCC x7-3702.

Ted Marotta was born in Amsterdam, New York and grew up in East Greenbush.  Ted was an internationally-touring musician from 1993 to 2001, when his passion for history lured him away from the road.  He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in History from the University at Albany.  Before joining the full-time faculty at FM in September 2011, Ted taught as an adjunct instructor for several years at a number of colleges, including Siena College and Hudson Valley Community College.  He is currently working on his PhD, and is writing his doctoral dissertation about the controversy surrounding Thomas Paine’s religious writings, which he hopes to complete by Fall 2012.

John van Bladel, a resident of Delanson, New York, has been an adjunct instructor of Psychology at FM since 1999 and now serves in this position as full-time.  He also is an active consultant providing education, training, consultation, and supervision on selected topics including Motivational Interviewing, Meditation, Working with Trauma, Health Behavior Change, and Stress Management to name a few.  His professional career has been dedicated to working with people with co-occurring disorders of mental illness and chemical dependency.  John also works in the horticultural field, which he tells us, is another move toward an ecological approach by pairing it with health behavior change and living in peace with the environment around us.  John earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from SUNY Geneseo and a Masters Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University.  He went on to earn an Associate’s Degree in Ornamental Horticulture-Landscape Development as well as a Bachelor’s Degree of Technology in Plant Science both from SUNY Cobleskill.