By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart
A cheerful chorus of “Happy Birthday” could be heard across campus on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, as SUNY Broome’s littlest learners celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the B.C. Center with faculty, staff, and friends from the community.
The B.C. Child Care Center was founded in the mid 1970’s in response to a need for quality childcare for SUNY Broome’s students and employees. After residing in a nearby church and the Broome County AlmsHouse for just under a decade, the B.C. Center moved to its current location in the heart of campus in September 1993.
A campus celebration is always extra fun when students from the B.C. Center join in! Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
The 30th Anniversary Celebration was hosted by Dr. Carol Ross-Scott, Vice President for Student Development & Chief Diversity Officer, and included a series of speeches, a group song accompanied by party horns, and birthday cupcakes.
For Professor Emeritus and Former Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Francis Battisti, the celebration highlighted the positive power and longevity of listening to the needs of students.
Special guests included past and present faculty, staff, public officials, and members of the Board of Trustees. Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
“In the mid-1970’s, I was part of the team that presented the idea of creating a designated space for childcare and early education after listening to the concerns and requests of our students. I wasn’t married or a parent then, and I didn’t fully grasp the immense value of the B.C. Center until a few years later, when I carried my sons to the center each morning before heading to my office,” Dr. Battisti said. “Today’s event proves that of all the initiatives that the College pursues, the ones that have the longest-lasting impact are those that support our students by meeting them where they are in life.”
Special speakers included:
- Dr. Tony D. Hawkins – President of SUNY Broome
- Dr. Francis Battisti – Professor Emeritus and Former Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
- Nancy Seliga – Founding Director of the B.C. Center
Several public officials and their representatives attended the celebration and presented citations and certificates in honor of the B.C. Center’s unwavering service to the families of the community. Broome County Executive and proud B.C. Center alum, Jason Garnar, officially proclaimed October 25, 2023, “B.C. Center Day” in Broome County.
Special officials included:
- Jason Garnar – Broome County Executive and B.C. Center Alum
- Korin Kirk – representing Senator Lea Webb
- Assemblyman Joe Angelino – representing Assembly District 121
- Terry Cortese-Green – representing Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo
Before welcoming a group of baby Hornets outside to join in on the festivities, Dr. Ross-Scott took a moment to publicly thank Professor Lisa Strahley, Interim Director of the B.C. Center and her team, for their incredibly meaningful work of caring for and educating the 44 bright and beautiful children who call the B.C. Center their home away from home.
Dr. Carol Ross-Scott thanked the B.C. Center’s past (Nancy Seliga), present (Lisa Strahley), and future (Nichole McMillen). Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
View photos from the B.C. Center’s 30th Anniversary Celebration!
