Four Students Receive SUNY/OMH Scholarships to Fuel Pipeline of Mental Health Professionals

UAlbany's carillon tower and podium roofs are seen behind a flowering tree in springtime.
(Photo by Patrick Dodson)

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 21, 2025) — Four UAlbany students have received scholarships through SUNY’s partnership with New York State’s Office of Mental Health (OMH), designed to strengthen the pipeline of mental health professionals with a focus on serving New Yorkers who may have historically lacked quality mental health care.

The program, established in August 2022 by Gov. Kathy Hochul, distributes scholarships for up to three years per student, offers paid internships and application fee waivers for graduate school to support students in mental health degree programs. 

UAlbany scholarship recipients are:

  • Vanessa Aryee, a PhD student in clinical psychology, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Chenelle Gordon, a master’s student in mental health counseling, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, School of Education
  • Long Jie Huang, a PhD student in counseling psychology, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, School of Education
  • Jeannie Yamazaki, a PhD student in counseling psychology, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, School of Education

“We are incredibly proud of our School of Education students who have been recognized with this honor,” said Ginny Goatley, dean of the School of Education. “This important scholarship program supports their journey as they enter the mental healthcare field and benefits the communities they will serve.”

Jeanette Atarriba, dean of the College of Arts and Science, also expressed her pride. “We are pleased to see that these bright, young scholars are being recognized in this way and are the recipients of scholarships that will help them develop the necessary skills and tools needed to serve populations in need,” she said. “We are proud of Vanessa and her selection for one of these prestigious awards.”

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. used the occasion of Mental Health Awareness Month to recognize the SUNY/OMH Scholarship Program winners, a total of 15 students from nine SUNY campuses. 

“At SUNY, we are committed to helping more students gain the education they need to be our future healthcare professionals,” King said. “The mental health workforce has long struggled with retaining a diverse field of professionals, which we know is essential to providing New Yorkers with the quality care they deserve. That is why we are proud to partner with New York State’s Office of Mental Health to help resolve this issue and empower more SUNY students to take on roles within this career path.”