Pay it forward

of, I don’t have children and I’m not married. I thought, ‘How can I use this money I know will be left after I’m gone to help my community, to make things better for someone else?’ The best way I could to do that is to support students. Education was something my dad was a firm believer in, so this just makes sense.”

Join The Garnet Society

Designating SUNY Adirondack for an estate or planned gift — of any size — enrolls you as a Garnet Society member.

GIFTS INCLUDE:

• bequests;

• trusts;

• retirement assets;

• life insurance;

• outright gifts to the Foundation’s endowment

For more information on how to join this legacy-giving society or support SUNY Adirondack Foundation and student scholarships, contact SUNY Adirondack Foundation by calling 518-743-2243 or by emailing foundation@sunyacc.edu.

How To Give

Creating a scholarship is easy, and a wonderful way to help future students. To learn more, please visit sunyacc.edu/ways-give, call 518-743-2243 or email foundation@sunyacc.edu.

When Amanda Martinez became ill during her first semester in SUNY Adirondack’s Nursing program, the mother of two had every excuse to quit: Buried in schoolwork, she had to help her kids — one of whom is on the autism spectrum — navigate attending school virtually during the pandemic and she ended up hospitalized and using a wheelchair.

But as recipient of the Chelsea Donna Marie Coutant Memorial Scholarship, Martinez wanted to succeed.

“t’s the motivation that somebody gave you money to better yourself, they saw something in you,” said Martinez, a veteran of the Air Force Reserves.

“Knowing someone invested in me made me realize how blessed I was.”

When Martinez first started feeling sick, more than one health care professional told her she was suffering from anxiety and sent her home. By the time she met with a neurologist, she had lost weight, couldn’t eat or walk, and was struggling to care for her children.

“The neurologist saved my life in less than 15 minutes,” she marveled. Her illness was diagnosed as POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system.

“Although I went through hell and it was terrible, there was a silver lining: The experience piqued a massive interest for me in advocating for patients.”

She graduated in December 2022 as a registered nurse and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at SUNY Plattsburgh while working as a nurse in neurology.