Contributed by the Turn 2 Foundation
Photos: Header: Derek smiles after a tribute from a coach during the naming of Derek Jeter Field at Kalamazoo Central High School, 2011. Below: Derek Jeter and sister, Sharlee pose with Derek’s book, “You’re a Star,” during his visit to Kalamazoo during a Christmas event for the Turn 2 Foundation in 2011. Photos by Sean Hollins; copyright protected
*See photos of Derek’s recent visit in our photo gallery on the Home page!
NEW YORK (N.Y.)-Siena College will celebrate Commencement 2012 at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 13 at the Times Union Center in Albany. Along with celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2012, Siena will confer three honorary degrees. Educational leader Joseph M. Pastore, Jr. Ph.D., journalist, author and sportswoman Virginia Kraft Payson and New York Yankees Captain Derek Jeter will receive degrees and address the graduates and guests. Sharlee Jeter, president of the Turn 2 Foundation, will accept the award on behalf of her brother, Derek, whose team will be playing against the Seattle Mariners at that time. Jeter’s presence will be felt through a personalized video message that will be played on the arena’s video board.
Sharlee Jeter and Siena College alumnus and lifelong friend of the Jeter family, Geoff Walker ’97 will be available for interviews immediately after the honorary degree presentation.
Derek S. Jeter is the Captain of the New York Yankees. He is a 12-time All-Star and a five-time World Series champion. Jeter has won five Gold Glove Awards and four Silver Slugger Awards. He was also named American League Rookie of the Year in 1996. Last season, Jeter cemented his legacy as one of professional baseball’s all-time greats when he became the first New York Yankee and just the 23rd player in the history of Major League Baseball to join the 3,000-hit club. Along with his on-field accomplishments, Jeter has helped to improve the lives of young people through his Turn 2 Foundation. Jeter established the Turn 2 Foundation to promote healthy lifestyles among children and teenagers. Since its inception in 1996, during Jeter’s rookie season, the Turn 2 Foundation has awarded more than $16 million in grants to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to choose healthy lifestyles. Through these ventures, the Foundation strives to create outlets for children to achieve academic excellence, develop leadership skills and remain drug and alcohol free. Read Derek’s full bio at: http://www.siena.edu/pages/7460.asp
Other Honorary Degree Recipients:
Joseph M. Pastore, Jr., Ph.D. is an outstanding educator and educational leader in the fields of business and higher education administration. Pastore is a former Chair of the Siena College Board of Trustees and, after 20 years of service, maintains Trustee Emeritus status. Pastore is Professor Emeritus in Residence at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business. Pastore has held tenured faculty appointments at St. Bonaventure University, Pace University and Boston College. Pastore’s academic and professional contributions have focused on organizational strategy, social entrepreneurship, dispute resolution and ethics and public policy in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University, an M.B.A. from Pace University and a Ph.D. from Saint Louis University. In 2011, Pace University awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
Virginia Kraft Payson is a pioneer woman sports journalist and author, as well as an avid sports enthusiast and thoroughbred horse owner and breeder. Payson worked as a journalist on the staff of Sports Illustrated magazine for 26 years, beginning in 1954. She traveled to exotic locations and published stories about her experiences in adventure sports such as hunting, fishing and scuba diving. She has written books on boating, training dogs, shotgun sports and tennis. Mrs. Payson was elected to The Underwater Hall of Fame and is the first woman to compete in and complete Alaska’s 75-mile World Championship Sled Dog Race. Mrs. Payson has become one of the thoroughbred industry’s most respected owners and breeders. Her small boutique operation averages less than a dozen foals a year. Still, it has produced 78 stakes horses, of which 30 won or placed in graded stakes races. Three were champions. In 1997, Mrs. Payson was honored as Breeder of the Year by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
Siena College is a learning community advancing the ideals of a liberal arts education, rooted in its identity as a Franciscan and Catholic college. Located in Loudonville, N.Y., two miles north of the state capital, the 176-acre beautiful, suburban campus is home to 3,000 undergraduates. Siena offers over 1,200 program combinations from 27 majors and 47 minor and certificate programs. Students engage in a highly personalized education where they are challenged in a way that prepares them for a lifetime of extraordinary achievement.
