A Cayuga Community College student has been recognized with one of the State University of New York’s highest honors for Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) students.
Jorge Jimenez, a Bronx native and member of Cayuga’s Class of 2025, received the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence in a ceremony Tuesday, an honor presented by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. The award recognizes EOP students for academic achievement and perseverance. Jimenez, a Liberal Arts and Sciences major with a 3.67 GPA, was one of 50 students across SUNY to be honored.
“Jorge Jimenez embodies the qualities and characteristics of an EOP student, and what it means to be a successful, caring, and actively involved student within Cayuga’s campus community,” said Cayuga EOP Director Debra Joseph-McEwen.
Jimenez has been an active presence on campus since enrolling in Fall 2023, working in the Student Services Center and serving as a captain of the Men’s Basketball team in his sophomore year. He is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa academic honor society.
Despite his achievements, Jimenez said he was shocked and grateful upon learning he had won the McConney Jr. Award.
“I was very shocked and grateful when I learned that I was receiving this award because I know we have a great group of EOP students who have done well and overcome so many challenges,” he said. “To be the recipient from Cayuga, and be among the few students across SUNY to receive this award, is a tremendous honor.”
Cayuga’s EOP program, now in its third year, helps full-time students overcome financial and academic barriers by offering personal and academic counseling, as well as free tutoring. Jimenez credited Ms. Joseph-McEwen and EOP Coach Vanessa Davis for their continued support.
“EOP is an amazing program, one that provides outstanding academic and personal support to help students succeed and realize our potential,” Jimenez said. “College can be a real challenge, but having people like Ms. Joseph-McEwen and Ms. Davis in my corner at Cayuga has made an incredible difference.”
Jimenez plans to pursue a career in sports management and is exploring transfer options to a four-year SUNY institution in Fall 2025 to earn his bachelor’s degree.
The McConney Jr. Award is named after Norman R. McConney Jr., a SUNY Albany graduate who helped establish EOP as a statewide program. Since its creation, EOP has served over 85,000 students across 55 SUNY institutions.
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