Allison McCarthy, Nicole Peets receive Sonnenfeld Awards

Alison McCarthy

Nicole Peets

Marion Sonnenfeld Award Scholarships, which recognize outstanding female students who exemplify leadership, hard work and a good sense of community, have been presented to Allison McCarthy and Nicole Peets. The Council for Women’s Concerns awarded the 2013-2014 scholarships to the two seniors at the annual awards ceremony held on Monday, Nov. 11, at the Horizon Room.

McCarthy, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, is majoring in Acting with minors in Applied Music and Dance and has had numerous roles within the Department of Theatre and Dance as an actress, dancer and technician in the last three years. She currently serves as director of operations for the Performing Arts Company and as a worship leader for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Fredonia.

Additionally, McCarthy serves as a volunteer at St. Columban’s on the Lake, Boys and Girls Club in Dunkirk, Chautauqua County Rural Ministry, WCA Home, Fredonia Place Retirement Community, St. Vincent’s Adult Home and Christ Community Church.

Peets, of Webster, N.Y., is a Music Education major with minors in Spanish and Applied Voice. She has also held numerous leadership positions, including president of the Music Students’ Representative Council, secretary for the Fredonia chapter of the National Association for Music Education, and vice president and historian/librarian of the Student Opera Theatre Association.

She has also served SUNY Fredonia as a campus ambassador and campus host. Her commitment to music education has taken her to Guatemala, where she served as a music teacher at the Casa Bernabe Orphanage in Fraijanes, and at Music Camp Guatemala based in Chimaltenango.

Marion Sonnenfeld taught German as a member of the SUNY Fredonia faculty for 25 years. She was honored as a Distinguished Professor and became the first female Dean of the Arts & Humanities. Sonnenfeld carried the virtues of her parents of loving life, being a faithful and loyal friend, having an outstanding work ethic and taking pride in her work.

The Council for Women’s Concerns seeks to help ensure a productive educational and work environment for faculty and staff at SUNY Fredonia, particularly in areas related to women's concerns. It focuses on general issues of campus climate and programs as they affect faculty and staff, and on policies and procedures which affect women on campus. Functioning as an advisory group, the CWC acts as a liaison between SUNY Fredonia employees and the Administration on matters of university policy and procedure related to women’s concerns.

CWC will begin accepting applications from students for the 2014-2015 school year in the Spring 2014 semester. Female students with at least sophomore standing and with at least one academic year remaining before graduation may apply.