By Aleksandra Sidorova
Going to SUNY Plattsburgh is already a point of pride for many alumni, but that pride multiplies when a family has several Cardinals. Homecoming Weekend is welcoming as much Cardinal family as possible at the first meeting of the unofficial Cardinal Roots club tomorrow.
“We have a lot of Cardinals in our — cliche — nest, and I think that brings a lot of pride,” said Lisa Vicencio, a second-generation Cardinal. “Everybody’s been successful, and that starts from here.”
Vicencio’s daughter, Evelyn, graduated from Plattsburgh in 2018 and now works in the Office for Institutional Advancement. She didn’t choose to go to Plattsburgh — she chose to stay.
Evelyn Vicencio said she grew up on the campus. Her mother has been working at their alma mater for more than 30 years as an associate head athletic trainer. Having family close by solidified Evelyn’s decision.
“Having my mom work on campus was a sense of comfort,” Evelyn Vicencio said.
Evelyn’s grandfather and Lisa’s father, Arthur Momot, graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1955, and then in 1959 with a master’s, and taught at the elementary school in Plattsburgh that now bears his name. All three played sports at Plattsburgh State, too.
Lisa Vicencio enrolled at SUNY Plattsburgh because it was close to home and even considered transferring, but ultimately chose to stay.
“It probably was the draw of the friendships that you develop, and the camaraderie, and the quality of education,” Lisa Vicencio said. “Why leave?”
Vicencio recognized that people leave home to grow as individuals, but she found that her hometown could provide her with the same opportunities.
“When you have the university in your backyard, you take it for granted,” Lisa Vicencio said.
Evelyn Vicencio has at least 10 family members on all sides of her family who graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh, and through her work in the Office for Institutional Advancement, she is sometimes able to add to that list.
Sharing an alma mater with family creates a special connection, which Evelyn and Lisa Vincencio said they didn’t appreciate until they were older.
“Growing up, you didn’t really think about those legacies in that way,” Evelyn Vicencio said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really appreciated that so much of what I am is built on the foundation of SUNY Plattsburgh and what my grandfather learned here as an educator, what my mom and my aunt have learned.”
Sometimes Evelyn Vicencio’s family compares experiences and discusses how SUNY Plattsburgh evolved through the three generations. Despite all the change, some things stay the same — excellent education, strong athletics and “that feeling that you get when you walk on campus, that you really belong,” Evelyn Vicencio said.
Although Evelyn and Lisa Vicencio said it’s exciting to have so many relatives who attended SUNY Plattsburgh, they consider every Cardinal family.
“Plattsburgh is a very special place for a lot of people, but I think even if you don’t have multiple generations, I think that you’ll find your family here,” Evelyn Vicencio said. “You may not have a biological family member, but you might create a legacy here.”
The college doesn’t know how many related alumni there are, but Cardinal Roots might help start tracking that number, said Kerry Chapin-Lavigne, director of alumni relations.
“We often say that our best recruiters are our alumni, and this is a recognition of that,” Chapin-Lavigne said.
The Cardinal Roots ice cream social is from 2 to 3 p.m. at the courtyard between Feinberg Library and Yokum Hall.
While the club is for related Cardinals, the Alumni Association is hosting a Lovebirds Toast to celebrate couples who met during their time at Plattsburgh at noon at the same place.
