The State University of New York (SUNY) announced that Husene Camara (Bronx, N.Y./Frederick Douglas) of the Maritime College men's basketball team and the Education Opportunity Program will receive this year's Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. The award honors SUNY students who have best demonstrated their integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives, which may include leadership, campus involvement, athletics, career achievement, community service or creative and performing arts.

Camara is a graduating senior in International Transportation and Trade, who was a member of the Privateer basketball program for four years and saw his success in both the classroom and the court improve significantly over the years. After struggling to see the court in his freshman campaign in the 2016-17 season and playing just three games, he worked his way up to playing 24 games and starting in eight of them during the 2019-20 season. The dramatic improvement on the court mirrored what the Bronx, NY native was able to accomplish in the classroom as well during his time at Maritime College.

"It's an honor to be one of the many great recipients of this award," said Camara. "I struggled all through my Freshman year both in the classroom and on the basketball court. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to bounce back and be in the position that I'm at today. However, I would like to also acknowledge all the professors, coaches, faculty, and staff members who helped me get to this point. They dedicated their valuable  time and resources to make sure I was on the right track when things were at its worst. I am forever appreciative of my time here as an athlete and a student at SUNY Maritime College."

"I couldn't be prouder of what Husene has accomplished at Maritime," said Head Coach and Interim Athletic Director Mike Berkun. "He worked extremely hard to improve himself and it's fantastic to see all of that come to fruition. He was an incredible teammate, student and person. We're going to miss him a lot, but we can't wait to see what he does next."

To see the full awards ceremony from SUNY, click here!