OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford SUNY Chancellor John King, right, listens to SUNY Fredonia students during a visit to campus Thursday.

State University of New York Chancellor John King visited Fredonia on Thursday afternoon as part of a pre-school year tour of campuses.

King began his visit at the SUNY Fredonia Honors Program headquarters in Fenton Hall to speak with a group of students from the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE).

SUNY Fredonia Stephen Kolison welcomed and introduced King. Kolison noted that King was U.S. Education Department secretary under President Barack Obama.

King “has been a leader in ensuring that every student has access to a SUNY education” and also takes steps to help them succeed, Kolison said.

King talked up EOP, ACE and similar student organizations before the eight students introduced themselves. They appeared to be a mix of Chautauqua County and New York City students. One said she was from the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn; King remarked that he went to public school in Canarsie.

“I’d be curious to hear just one thing you’d like to tell a prospective student,” King asked. Several mentioned EOP’s support.

“The second you walk on the campus, it’s really welcoming. Everyone wants you to succeed,” said one student.

A third student commented, “The school is so small, the advisers and the teachers really get to know you.” She described leaning on them during a health problem.

King asked the students, “If you could put $100,000 toward anything on this campus, what would it be?”

“To be honest, some better food choices,” quipped one kid, drawing laughter from the whole room. Another student mentioned expanding book and classroom materials vouchers. The student from Canarsie talked about using it to support long-distance transportation home on breaks. A fourth student said it should be used to improve accessibility for the mobility-challenged.

After the Fenton Hall session, King spoke with student interns, including members of the Empire State Service Corps.

“SUNY Fredonia is entering its third year of a comprehensive paid internship program, which provides advising, stipends, and wrap-around support in order to ensure more undergraduate students may participate in internship opportunities on and off campus,” according to a press release from SUNY.

“SUNY has set the ambitious goal that every student will participate in a high-quality internship or other experiential learning opportunity before they earn their degree. SUNY Fredonia’s program focuses on helping students participate in public service-related internships in areas like education, social work, music therapy, and medical laboratory sciences that are typically unpaid by providing students with $1,000 SUNY Internship & Living Stipends.”

The release goes on to list organizations that coordinated internships with SUNY Fredonia in 2024-25. The include Brooks Hospital, the Buffalo Bills, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office, Chautauqua Institution, DFT Communications, the Disney College Program, Interlochen Center for the Arts, the National Comedy Center, Paychex, Inc., Say Yes Buffalo, and the Super Bowl New Orleans Host Committee. Additionally, 188 internships were supervised by on-campus offices, departments, and programs.