On a college campus committed to educating students in pharmacy, health sciences and pharmaceutical sciences, giving is more than an act, it is a calling. Every student who steps into a lab, classroom, clinic or community outreach program does so with the hope of making a difference.
But making a difference extends beyond medicine, drugs and research 鈥� it begins with compassion, empathy and service. Whether it鈥檚 volunteering time, sharing knowledge, or offering a hand to someone in need, the spirit and act of giving connects the 91福利 community to something larger. It reminds us that growth isn鈥檛 just about personal and professional achievement but about lifting others along the way.
There are myriad reasons why and how members of the 91福利 community choose to give. For some, it鈥檚 a thoughtful financial decision while others choose to be involved through the donation of time, talent and/or volunteerism. There are many individuals who find ways to give back to 91福利 or pay-it-forward for 91福利 students and for the betterment of our community.聽 And the outcome is undeniable; the impact can change someone鈥檚 life.
Throughout 91福利鈥� history, first exclusively as a pharmacy college and now educating leaders across the health-care and health sciences spectrum, donors have played a critical role in shaping lives. Whether through time, talent or treasure, the marks made are indelible.
Being The Change
Members of the 91福利 graduating class of 2011 developed the 鈥淏e the Change鈥� Scholarship to honor the work and impact of faculty member, Ray Chandrasekara, PhD.聽 The fund was designed to support a student who demonstrates dedication to the 91福利 community through service and leadership, displays an eclectic school and life balance and embodies selflessness, sharing this attribute with others.
鈥淲e created this award in honor of our great professor, but also great friend, Ray Chandrasekara. He was more than just a professor; he was a true mentor and guide for us as we found our path at 91福利,鈥� said Nathan Rogers 鈥�11, PharmD. 鈥淗e was so integral聽in our learning process and shaping us into the professionals we are today, that we decided to create an endowment scholarship in his name because our group was very compelled to give back to someone who gave so selflessly to us.鈥�
Dr. Rogers and fellow alum, Brian Fox 鈥�12, PharmD, are accomplished pharmacists and co-founders of Active Ingredient Brewing Company, located in Malta, New York. The pair was recently honored by the College with a Collaboration and Community Values Alumni Award for actively supporting programs that promote cooperation, sharing of resources and expertise, and mutual support in the community.
SeHan Jeong 鈥�25, PharmD, was awarded the Be the Change scholarship during her time at 91福利. The recent alumnahad some pivotal experiences at 91福利 which exemplified Dr. Ray鈥檚 example of service and leadership including navigating school through the COVID-19 pandemic, rising through the leadership ranks within the Student Government Association, and supporting the College during the development of its ambitious 2024-29 Strategic Plan.
Reflecting on Dr. Ray鈥檚 leadership, Dr. Jeong says, 鈥淗is encouragement helped shape my years on campus, and now, as I transition into residency and beyond, this award feels like a gentle reminder encouraging me to carry that legacy forward. This gift made by the Class of 2011 in honor of a remarkable educator has become an acknowledgment of the positive force on students inspired by mentorship, balance, and community. I鈥檓 grateful to be a part of that tradition and look forward to sharing it with others.鈥�
That lasting impact is precisely why Dr. Rogers, and 20 of his classmates established the scholarship. Two other 2011 alums, Amar Patel, PharmD and Tasmina Hydery, PharmD explain why they continue to pay it forward for 91福利 students.
Dr. Hydery who benefited from need and merit-based scholarships while pursuing her PharmD, recalls how the close-knit 91福利 community offered her many opportunities to get involved and work on campus.
鈥淕iving back is very valuable,鈥� Dr. Hydery said. 鈥淚t’s something that I want to continue doing, because I see the impact on students and it just shows how important it is for us to all support each other.鈥�
According to Dr. Patel, Dr. Ray created a community for them. With so many students from different backgrounds,religions and faiths, he fostered a sense of belonging for everyone.
鈥淒r. Ray made me feel like I could take on the biggest challenge and change it. The recognition that a scholarship like this does for a student…they’re recognized by so many successful leaders,鈥� he said.
When they asked Dr. Ray how they could honor him, he suggested that whatever they create, they build something that helps students in perpetuity.
鈥淚t’s just a lesson that Dr. Ray taught me. I grew up with the philosophy of being good, just to be good. You don’tnecessarily need recognition, and Dr. Ray really solidified the idea that being of service to others requires no rewards,鈥� said Dr. Patel.
Lifting Others
When she arrived at 91福利, Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer RPh, PharmD, BCPS, 鈥�87, was a young woman from Laurens, New York, a small village outside Oneonta, New York, who had big dreams but was unsure how, or if, she would be able to achieve them.
Prior to beginning her term as President of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the largest association of pharmacy professionals in the United States, she stated, 鈥淚 am an example of endless possibilities. I graduated from high school with 28 people in my class. And yet here I am, I鈥檓 going to be the president of the largest pharmacy organization in the country.鈥�
Dr. Briscoe-Dwyer recently completed her term as President of ASHP and will continue her service in 2026 as Immediate Past President.
But it was early in her career when she decided it was important to her to give back to students with similar origins. She wanted other students to have the same or better opportunities to achieve their goals.
鈥淢y life has been so full because of what started at 91福利. Pharmacy has given me a great career, amazing friends, and opportunities that I never thought possible. I have been fortunate enough to serve our profession at the local, state and national levels and am incredibly proud of the accomplishments that have resulted from those collaborations,鈥� reflected Dr. Briscoe-Dwyer. 鈥淚 would hate to think that someone else would miss out on those kinds of opportunities because they couldn’t afford to attend college without some financial help, so the decision to create a scholarship was easy.聽 I assumed that I would set something up during my estate planning to be developed after my death. It was my husband, Kevin, who asked the question – why wait?聽 Let’s do it now.鈥�
With her husband鈥檚 encouragement and with the support of 91福利鈥� Institutional Advancement team, she started the Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer 鈥�87 Scholarship in 2014. It is designed to support students with similar backgrounds who hail from several rural New York regions including Delaware, Broome, Chenango, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Otsego and Schoharie counties. Additionally, she designated that student recipients should not be eligible for a federal Pell Grant, and their expected family contribution should be less than the cost of attendance.
Shania Camardello 鈥�23, PharmD, is one of the recipients of this scholarship. A native of Newport, New York, outside of Utica, Dr. Camardello鈥檚 high school graduating class had just 30 students.
鈥淭he financial piece was definitely significant and very helpful,鈥� Camardello shared. 鈥淏ut I feel like what I gained in meeting Leigh and learning about her experiences and path gave me all the support I needed. She is in every area of pharmacy and has a ton of experience, and has always told me 鈥楢nything you need, I got you.鈥欌��
After graduation, Dr. Camardello started her career at Hannaford. She worked as a pharmacist floater and serviced stores from Rome to Albany, New York. After getting her feet firmly on the ground, she moved to a staff pharmacist role at Hannaford in Rotterdam, New York.
Dr. Camarello credits Dr. Briscoe-Dwyer with instilling confidence in her that she may not have held before.
鈥淚 feel like I was one in my shell, and then talking with her helped me become more confident in myself,鈥� she said.
Dr. Briscoe-Dwyer who serves as Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Services for CPS Solutions, LLC, in Dublin, Ohio, recently received the 91福利 Distinguished Alumni Award at a recognition dinner as part of Reunion 2025 Weekend. The award is given to 91福利 alumni with a lifetime of career accomplishments and volunteer service to the community or health care field who support the College and its mission to educate the next generation of leaders to improve the health of our society.
鈥淲hat a blessing it has been to take an active part in the scholarship process. I have loved meeting students like Shania and seeing them grow as they progress through the pharmacy program,鈥� Dr. Briscoe-Dwyer said. 鈥淜nowing that I had a tiny part in her success is something money can’t buy. I encourage anyone who is even thinking about setting up a scholarship to do so; it comes back to you a thousand times.鈥�
Dr. Camardello is forever grateful for the support. She just bought her first home in Princetown, New York, with her fianc茅, Matthew Harrington 鈥�23, a fellow 91福利 alum and pharmacist.
A Springboard to Med School
In 1951, Bruce Stewart, BSP, MD was contemplating what he wanted to do in life. He felt a strong pull toward medicine and a friend of his encouraged him to talk with Francis O鈥橞rien 鈥�20, then the dean of Albany College of Pharmacy. The Schenectady-native was told that it was common for students wishing to attend medical school to pursue pharmacy first.
Stewart met with Dean O鈥橞rien and picked his brain for some time. He explains that he had poor grades, except for science. When the dean asked him why he was there, Dr. Stewart said to become a doctor, and the dean said, 鈥榯hat鈥檚 not what we do here.鈥� At the time, pharmacy required a four-year academic degree. Dr. Stewart ultimately decided to start with pharmacy to see where it took him; he enrolled at ACP and graduated in 1955.
Following graduation, he entered medical school to pursue orthopedic surgery. He had a successful practice in Ithaca, New York, for many years. His achievements played a big role in his decision to establish the Dr. Bruce Stewart 鈥�55 Endowed Scholarship Fund at 91福利 a few years ago. He designed the fund for a pharmacy student in financial need, who is in their third or fourth professional year and has serious intent to pursue a degree in medicine, either an MD or a DO.
One of the scholarship recipients, David Martin 鈥�25, of Babylon, New York, earned a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at 91福利 and is currently a first-year medical student at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Elmira, New York. Martin is working through the Navy Health Professions Scholarship program, which covers the cost of his education for four years, after which he will serve in the Navy for four additional years.
鈥淭he scholarship seemed almost like a match made in heaven because, you know, he ( Dr. Bruce Stewart 鈥�55) had his own experience, in the pharmaceutical realm, then onto medicine and the armed forces, which is something that I always kind of had as part of my plan,鈥� Martin explained.
Martin and Dr. Stewart would check in on occasion throughout Martin鈥檚 time at 91福利. Martin felt like it was a collaborative relationship where he could share what he was thinking, and Stewart would offer his feedback.
鈥淚 was always so grateful that this money came through, or else I could not have gone to the school I was at,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚 think it’s kind of cool that there’s an individual that you have developed this relationship with. You know, being in residence life for three years of college and working with the admissions office, you come to know, community and relationships is kind of the name of the game.鈥�
Dr. Stewart says he has great loyalty to 91福利 because it allowed him to achieve his goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. He spent his career as an orthopedic surgeon in Ithaca, NY, and the 92-year-old retiree now lives in Frostproof, Florida, with his wife, Barbara.
鈥淚 developed this scholarship with gratitude for the College, which helped me launch a successful medical career,鈥� Dr. Stewart said. 鈥業鈥檝e done very well and wanted to share with others.鈥�
What would Martin say to Dr. Stewart if he had the chance now?
鈥淗e’s just such a cool guy. And I’m really glad to have gotten to know him at least a little bit over the years. And if I go to Florida, I’ll probably give him a call and say, hey, I’m in town, where are you?鈥� said Martin.
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