Lisa Ceccato Receives 30th Anniversary College at Oneonta Foundation Scholarship

2014 Feb 18

Lisa Ceccato of Levittown, NY, was selected as the second recipient of SUNY Oneonta's new 30th Anniversary College at Oneonta Foundation Scholarship. Created in 2012 to celebrate the college's strong tradition of philanthropy and expand study abroad opportunities for SUNY Oneonta students, the scholarship is awarded to one student each fall.

Ceccato, who is a senior at SUNY Oneonta, studied at the Foundation for International Education in London during the fall 2013 semester through a SUNY Albany program. The $1,300 scholarship award enabled her to travel to several historical sites in the UK and Europe. Each day was a new adventure: Getting off the tube at a random destination and going exploring. Touring BBC Studios and ITV4 with her British Life class. Ordering an unfamiliar dish at a Middle Eastern restaurant near her South Kensington flat. Standing on top of Hitler's bunker in Berlin. Getting the perfect "selfie" at the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

"I just loved every morning knowing that I'd get to do something that I hadn't done before," she said.

In addition to taking three classes, Ceccato did a six-week internship at iPeople Services, a human resources firm that recruits social workers. As a communications studies major with a minor in public relations, she said the intercultural communication skills she developed will be extremely valuable when she enters the job market.

Helping more students to pursue opportunities to study, learn and work in other cultures is a priority for SUNY Oneonta. Global Connectedness is one of five pillars in the college's Strategic Plan 2010-2015, and both Scholarships and Global Connectedness are campaign priorities for Possibilities Full of Promise, the 125th Anniversary Campaign for SUNY Oneonta.