When Beth Wierzbieniec '99 was a high school student looking at colleges, she knew that a small college “was a place I could become involved in.”
Wierzbieniec has gone beyond being involved; she has been an integral part of the student body, and this spring she was awarded the Bailey Cup, presented to the senior who rendered the greatest service to the College. Her list of activities includes Big Brothers/Big Sisters, tour guide for the Admissions Office, tutor at Elmer Elementary School, orientation advisor, member of the Multi-Cultural Advisory Group, and president of the Student Forum.
One of her most rewarding experiences was her leadership of a project titled “Dialogues on Race.” For a month in the spring of 1998, twenty-one student organizations, dozens of faculty and staff, and the College's athletic teams hosted more than thirty events and activities designed to foster an exchange of ideas, information, and concerns regarding diversity at Union. The Schenectady County Human Rights Commission recognized Wierzbieniec's by awarding her the 1998 Human Rights Youth Achievement Award. She was received the 1998 Hudson Mohawk Association of Colleges and Universities' “Creating a More Welcoming Community” student award.
Wierzbieniec will be in Baltimore with the Teach for America program for at least two years, likely teaching middle school social studies. After that, she says she may go back to school to study public administration or public law.
In addition to the Bailey Cup, she received the Alan Lake Chidsey Citizenship Award for distinctive contributions to the advancement of responsible government in student affairs and a Meritorious Service Award.
“Union has meant so much to me, and it's really nice to know that I have meant a lot to Union,” she said.