SUNY Schenectady County Community College

Congratulations to Yuliano Camarena, recipient of the 2026 SUNY - The State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence! He earned his A.S. degree in Criminal Justice in December 2025 and is at the University at Albany pursuing his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Legal Studies. He plans to earn his bachelor’s degree by fall 2028, score high on the LSAT, and attend law school at Harvard University.

Yuliano’s advocacy work began when he was a student at Mohonasen High School Mohonasen CSD and he helped to organize a group of fellow students, teachers, and School Board members to advocate for free healthy meals for K-12 students throughout New York by lobbying state leaders which was successful. He even testified during a New York State Joint Legislative Hearing for Elementary & Secondary Education in February 2023.

He decided to get involved in state government and student leadership roles following the death of his uncle, speaking at the March for Our Lives event in Albany in 2022. Yuliano’s work as a community advocate and student leader hasn’t stopped.

While at SUNY Schenectady, he was Vice President of the Student Government Association (SGA), served on the Student Clubs Committee and Budget Committee, chaired the Judicial Committee, and was named to the President’s and Dean’s Lists. He has interned in the offices of Congressman Paul Tonko and Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, and was promoted to Legislative Aide in Assemblyman Santabarbara’s office.

Congratulations to Myat Kyaw, Business Administration major, who was named to the first team of the prestigious Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society All-New York Academic Team! Myat holds a 4.0 GPA! He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, a first-generation college student & a participant in the Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) Program.

A full-time student, Myat also works full-time as a housekeeping supervisor at the Desmond Crowne Plaza in Albany. He would like to pursue a career as a hotel general manager. He shared, “I really like learning customer service, leadership, and how organizations work. I like communicating with a lot of different people and providing good customer service to guests.”

Myat will be graduating on May 21 during our 56th Commencement. He plans to transfer to the University at Albany this fall for his bachelor’s degree, followed by his master’s degree in Business Administration.

SUNY - The State University of New York

Our Student Government Association officers & senators participated in the Student Assembly Conference hosted by the SUNY - The State University of New York Student Assembly at the Crowne Plaza in Albany recently! The weekend was filled with networking opportunities, breakout sessions, Student Assembly Senate meetings, and meaningful conversations with peers from across the SUNY system.