On November 3rd, 2006 the University Student Senate held its annual scholarship reception at the Graduate Center.  This year, over 70 students from all 19 CUNY campuses received one of two Scholarship Awards distributed annually by the University Student Senate.  The Donald and Mary Ellen Passantio Award, (established in 2003) and The USS Merit Award (established in 1995), recognizes, students, international students, and students with disabilities who have demonstrated outstanding academic leadership performance under extraordinary circumstances.  Each recipient of The Donald and Mary Ellen Passantino and USS Collegiate Merit scholarships will receive $500, and $1000 respectively, as well as a certificate recognizing their achievement. 

            This reception also served as a passing of the torch, as outgoing Chairperson Carlos Sierra shared the stage with current Chair Robert Ramos, Jr.  The evening was punctuated with speeches from both chairs offering many congratulations to all the recipients.  Former Chairman Sierra said “The USS Merit award recognizes the outstanding leadership of CUNY students, but no award can truly recognize, or quantify the value of this service to the University and Community.”  In his remarks current Chairman Ramos said “The Donald and Mary Ellen Passantio Scholarship was created in part to honor the commitment of two USS alumni who energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to the University has seldom been matched.  Their steadfast support of students, who like themselves, struggled with the difficulties of being a disabled, yet never let these difficulties overcome them.  I say this, as both Don and Marry-Ellen are former colleagues of mine, that they both would be extremely proud of this year recipients;  Proud and inspired, as these students have showed that people with disabilities may be impaired, but this does not make them dysfunctional.”