2006 Alumnus of the Year Award Remarks

SUNY at Cobleskill 2006 Alumnus of the Year Award Remarks
September 30, 2006
J. Glenn Eugster

Good evening and thanks for coming out tonight.
My education at Cobleskill has been both the path and the foundation I have used to build my professional career and personal life. It gave me my start, helped build my confidence, raised my expectations and lifted my horizons.

Evenings like tonight give all of us an opportunity to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and how we got here.

Thomas Merton, one of the foremost spiritual thinkers of the 20th century, wrote in a book called “Thoughts in Solitude” that “A man is known, then, by his end. He is also known by his beginning. And if you wish to know him as he is at any given moment, find how far he is from his beginning and how near to his end”.

Where I am today starts with the gift of being and with the capacities that God has given me. It continues to be influenced by my family and friends. It has been and will continue to be influenced by the actions of others around me, by the events of the world in which I live, and by the character of our society.

When I came here I knew that I wanted to get a college education but I’m not sure I knew then why I wanted it. I was the first person in my family to go to college and I was strongly encouraged to do so. College educations were not a given then and those of us that had the opportunity to pursue a field of study were most fortunate.

I arrived here as an average student with potential but in need of a great deal of work. I was lucky enough to be guided by Professor Jack Ingels, then and now, one of the top professionals, educators, and people in the field I was entering. Jack is passionate, substantive, and knows how to teach not only subject matter but the standards of professional practice. In hindsight Jack’s expertise and passion were most appropriate for educating those of us entering this profession. Little did we know then that we would need both passion and skill to work effectively in this type of work.

My training began as America was implementing many important park, conservation and environmental laws including, the 1962 Report to the President and to the Congress by the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, and the 1965 White House Conference on Natural Beauty. My education coincided with a fundamental ground shift in America. Earth Day was on the horizon and people such as Professor Ian McHarg were advocating that leaders should “Design With Nature.” All of these influences challenged us to develop a new paradigm for understanding people and the places where they live, work, and recreate. It also gave us passion for our work and a belief that we could make a difference locally and globally.

Cobleskill was the door that led me into this movement, first through ornamental horticulture, nursery management, and landscape design. It led me to landscape architecture; river conservation; National Parks; ecological planning; and sustainable development at local, regional, national and international scales.

Cobleskill made me realize how I could apply my education. I left here in 1968 with not only a degree, and new and improved life skills, but an excellent job offer, and the opportunity to continue my education. The university professors helped me become all I could be. They gave me the opportunity to practice my profession and succeed.

Over the years I’ve have kept in contact with Professor Ingels, Lois Goblet, and others in the University for several reasons. I’ve tried to measure my progress. I’ve tried to show the people that invested in me the return on their commitment. I’ve also tried in small ways to give something back to the University that launched my career and helped me achieve a better life.

With age comes perspective and as I’ve interacted with the Cobleskill I have been impressed by the University’s sustained commitment to students and graduates. Whether it is teaching students, advancing best practices, helping new graduates network with old graduates in the workforce, or recognizing the achievements of people like us this evening, Cobleskill’s approach is unique and effective.

The awards tonight highlight what some of us have accomplished. Perhaps more importantly these awards reflect the impact this school and these professors have had on graduates and the individuals, communities and companies they serve. I am forever grateful for my award and hope that the good work that is done here in Cobleskill will continue.

Thank you.