Bulletin News
05/20/2010
Tau Sigma, the national honor society for transfer students, has awarded $1,000 scholarships to two SUNY Cortland students, including Melissa Fromm.
A physical education major from Albion, N.Y., Fromm will graduate from SUNY Cortland on Saturday, May 22.
After transferring from Monroe Community College, Fromm became an active member of Tau Sigma and the Alliance of Physical Education Majors (APEM). She eagerly helps transfer students transition into their new environment, answering questions about academics and extra-curricular activities and often meets with new students during the summer before the school year. A natural leader, she served as vice president and president of the Cortland chapter of Tau Sigma, was president of APEM and a teacher’s assistant and class mentor while at Cortland.
Fromm was inducted into the interdisciplinary honorary Phi Kappa Phi, received SUNY Cortland’s Major of the Year Award and the Bessie L. Park Award, presented to a female physical education major for outstanding efforts and contributions to the campus, community and the profession.
“During my two years at SUNY Cortland I have completed several community service activities that have helped me to become a stronger person,” said Fromm, who also made the Dean’s List, the President’s List and was a member of the SUNY Cortland Swim Team.
She coached a community swim club for children with special needs, assisted with a sports event for Cortland middle school students, collected food for low-income families and participated in a program that helped to develop motor skills physically challenged children and adults.
“So far, the physical education classes, community services and extra curricular college experiences have made me successful in life,” said Fromm. “When I’m in the real world helping America’s youth become physically educated, I’ll look back at this great educational experience at Cortland.”
Fromm hopes to be a teacher who can help to decrease the amount of childhood obesity. Her immediate plans are to attend graduate school to receive her master’s degree in adapted physical education. From there, she aspires to build curriculums for adapted students who need physical education.
The second Tau Sigma scholarship recipient is Joseph Piliero of Hampton Bays, N.Y.