SOLI Scholarship Helps Transfer Students Thrive

For many students, transferring to a new university marks a turning point, an opportunity to explore new possibilities and find the academic environment that best supports their ambitions. For Sidra Ali and Nicole McCormack, that turning point came at New York Institute of Technology.

Every year, New York Tech offers the Stay on Long Island (SOLI) Scholarship to one graduate of Nassau Community College and one graduate of Suffolk County Community College. As recipients of the 2024 SOLI Award, Ali and McCormack are building toward careers that blend creativity, technology, and problem-solving.

Designing Spaces That Help People

While attending high school in Coram, N.Y., encouragement from teachers helped Ali realize that interior design was the right direction for her. She enrolled in the associate’s degree program at Suffolk County Community College, where she spent two years exploring the field and building foundational design skills before a scholarship opportunity led her to New York Tech.

“When I learned about the Fabrication Lab and all the machines and tools students can use, it made me even more interested in coming here,” says Ali. “Those resources are always available to help us grow and develop our ideas.”

Since transferring, Ali has explored several branches of interior design and is beginning to narrow her focus. She is especially interested in commercial and healthcare environments—spaces where thoughtful design can make a meaningful difference.

Ali is currently part of a collaborative project to redesign the library on the first three floors of the Edward Guliano Global Center on New York Tech’s New York City campus. Working with classmates, she helped gather feedback from fellow students through flyers and online surveys. The team is incorporating ideas such as flexible seating areas, meeting rooms, board-game walls, and a makerspace designed to support student creativity.

“It’s exciting because we’re designing something for our own community,” says Ali. The project plans have been forwarded to Millie González, New York Tech’s dean of libraries, and are under review for approval.

Coding a New Direction

Originally from Glen Cove, N.Y., McCormack began her college journey at Northeastern University, where she explored a variety of subjects and initially considered studying neuroscience. Later, she continued her education at Nassau Community College, earning an associate’s degree in liberal arts with a focus on math and science.

During that time, she also gained a deeper understanding of her own learning style after being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which reshaped her academic approach and strengthened her interest in technology and problem-solving. Computer science soon stood out as the right fit.

“I really liked the practical side of it,” says McCormack. “You can see the results of your work right away.”

When it came time to choose a university to complete her bachelor’s degree, McCormack was drawn to New York Tech’s smaller computer science department and close interaction with faculty. She also saw opportunities to grow professionally through campus initiatives such as hackathons, career development seminars, and research opportunities.

After transferring, McCormack became deeply involved in student activities, including serving as president of the CyberHack club. She also gained real-world experience through an internship with Quest Diagnostics in New Jersey; working on an agile development team, she contributed to technical projects and helped redesign an internal SharePoint site with a focus on user experience and accessibility. “That project got me interested in UI and UX design,” says McCormack, who is next considering pursuing a master’s degree while working in the field. “I liked thinking about how someone moves through a website and how to make it easier to use.”

A Shared Turning Point

Though Ali and McCormack are studying in different disciplines, both say transferring to New York Tech helped them find an academic environment where they could thrive—and the SOLI Award made that opportunity a financial reality. As they continue their journeys, both students are already looking toward the next chapter: Ali designing spaces that improve people’s experiences and McCormack building technologies that shape the digital world.

By Kathrin Havrilla-Sanchez