MIDDLETOWN – Will Soto, a business administration student, was sworn in as the new student representative to the SUNY Orange Board of Trustees on Wednesday (Sept. 17) and will serve in that capacity for the 2018-19 academic year.
Soto, elected to his post by his fellow students, took his oath of office at Wednesday’s meeting and will represent the College’s more than 5,200 students at Board meetings and other selected College events.
Born and raised in Beacon, Soto graduated with high honors from Beacon High School. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for students at two-year colleges, and is a regular on the College’s Dean’s List.
He is a member of the Newburgh campus Student Senate, having served as treasurer since September 2017. He was a member of the Newburgh campus Business Club and has completed SUNY Orange’s “I am a Leader” program. He was also a voting delegate to the statewide SUNY Student Assembly during the 2017-18 academic year.
Soto is a member of the Board of Directors of The Elena Eckert Memorial Scholarship Fund, named in honor of his brother-in-law’s mother. Following her death, the fund was established in order to support one annual scholarship to be given to a graduating senior from a Hudson Valley high school. The recipients must be children or grandchildren of: corrections and/or police officers, or current/former Armed Forces service members.
Soto has also completed volunteer community service projects for Safe Harbors of the Hudson and Common Ground Farm in Beacon.
His term will conclude at the Board’s June 2019 meeting.