Luke Green has one goal in his new role as resource coordinator in St. Bonaventure University’s Office of Student Affairs: helping students move successfully from their first day of college to their last.

Green came to Bonaventure this year to oversee the university’s $500,000 Cabrini Health Foundation grant. The grant benefits 31 Pell-eligible students in the health professions and education who might not otherwise have been able to attend SBU.

Each of the students — 18 in the School of Education’s certification programs and 13 in the DePerro School of Health Professions — will receive up to $3,500 annually for their four years at St. Bonaventure as long as they continue to major in one of those school’s programs.

Green provides the students an additional layer of support as they become acclimated to college life.

“I meet with each student individually every other week and in small groups the opposite week,” Green said. “My role is to identify any areas of concern they might have and help them come up with solutions to those problems.”

Pam Ferman, SBU’s associate dean for Student Development, said, “Luke will certainly guide students to the right people if they have academic concerns, but his primary concern is everything else related to student life. He will play an active role in their transition from high school and their pathway to college completion.”

Green is also willing to answer questions for students who didn’t receive a Cabrini grant.

“I’ve already had roommates of our Cabrini students reach out and I’m happy to help,” he said. “It’s difficult to project just a week into the semester how any student will handle the transition to college, which is why I meet with them all individually since they may have very different concerns. My goal this early on is to make sure they pump the brakes on hitting the panic button.”

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

“The foundation is proud to support so many essential, innovative, and hard-working groups working on behalf of the health of New Yorkers. These include an array of religiously affiliated organizations that support critical programs through a well-established infrastructure serving the needs of the poor and underserved of all faiths,” said Kathryn Ruscitto, chair of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s Regional Grants Committee.

Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York state that either provide direct health care services or address the social determinants of health. For more information, visit https://www.cabrinihealth.org/

A native of Franklinville, New York, Green has a bachelor’s degree in economics from SUNY-Cortland. He previously worked for three years in adult education as a case manager and teacher, helping people to get their GEDs. He also worked for two years for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara and the Southern Tier.

______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.