ALLEGANY, N.Y. — St. Bonaventure University alumnus Robert McDow of Buffalo was among 17 individuals recognized earlier this month by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu) as “trail blazers for their families and communities.”
The cIcu presented the 2007 Independent Sector Alumni Hall of Distinction on March 5 at a reception in the Legislative Office Building in Albany. The alumni honorees were nominated by cIcu Board of Trustee member presidents.
McDow, who earned his bachelor’s degree in finance in 1991 from St. Bonaventure, went on to earn three master’s degrees from Canisius College and is now project administrator for the Buffalo Board of Education. McDow, who was able to attend college in part because of the Higher Education Opportunity Program, said of his time at St. Bonaventure: “When I left Bonaventure, life had a real meaning. I had developed friendships that I’ll always remember. While at Bonaventure, there wasn’t a person on campus I didn’t know.”
Believing that working with young people is a gift, McDow stays involved with HEOP students at the university, holding workshops for pre-freshmen and upperclassmen.
The Alumni Hall of Distinction was created in 2000 to recognize New York’s Independent Sector graduates who make contributions to society through their careers and community involvement. This year, the 17 individuals inducted into the Alumni Hall were all first generation graduates, trail blazers for their families and communities.
The cIcu arranged to publicly acknowledge the honorees in a Legislative Office Building exhibition, that includes photos and biographical profiles