3 minute read
Alumni News
On the Front Lines of Tragedy
Detective Matt Donaldson ’05 was one of the first police officers on the scene of the now-infamous Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. He returned to campus in September to share his experience and offer advice to UC’s aspiring cops.
Before a packed house in Macfarlane Auditorium, criminal justice alum Matt Donaldson ’05 shared the details of the most memorable—and most terrifying—day of his life.
Detective Matt Donaldson '05
Donaldson, a detective with the Las Vegas Police Department, was one of the first officers to respond to the Mandalay Bay shooting on October 1, 2017, when a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.
“We were sure we were going to die that day,” says Donaldson, who recalled storming the hotel room where the shooter, Stephen Paddock, had assembled more than 25 assault rifles, cameras, and other surveillance equipment in preparation for the rampage. Donaldson and his team found Paddock’s body among the artillery; he had shot himself moments before they entered.
“Your brain is operating on pure adrenaline,” he explained. “After we saw he was dead, it was on to the next thing. I immediately went downstairs and got onto another team to assist with recovery.”
Donaldson went on to describe the grim task of identifying survivors on the concert grounds in the minutes after the shooting, and the “surreal silence after so much adrenaline and chaos,” he told the crowd. “All I could hear in that field were hundreds of cell phones ringing—people trying to reach their loved ones. That’s something I’ll never forget.”
In his talk, Donaldson credited the team of counselors in his department for helping him cope with the trauma of that day, mostly by encouraging him to “talk about it,” he said. “They took good care of us.”
Donaldson, who grew up in the small town of Dexter, New York, also encouraged aspiring law enforcement officers to explore opportunities in major metropolitan areas like Las Vegas, even when they’re far from home.
“When you graduate from UC, you have the skill set that large police departments are looking for,” he said. “Because of the quality of the criminal justice program, you’re already on the cutting edge.”
Zully Ramirez '09, 2018 Convocation Speaker
Celebrating 50 Years of Opportunity
In her convocation address on August 24, Zully Ramirez ’09 attributed her professional success as a broadcast journalist to her UC education—and the Higher Education Opportunity Program that “made it all possible.”
“Without the HEOP program, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Ramirez, an investigative consumer reporter for Telemundo Chicago. “I still feel grateful.”
Ramirez is one of thousands of success stories produced by HEOP, which celebrates its 50th anniversary at UC this year. Funded by New York State in partnership with Utica College, HEOP provides academic and economic help to college students “who might not otherwise have the chance to succeed,” says John Ossowski, UC’s Director of Opportunity Programs.
Like Ramirez, many HEOP students are the first in their families to attend college and need additional guidance and support along the way.
“We help with everything from learning how to develop study skills to creating a budget to choosing a major,” Ossowski says. Today, there are 63 HEOP students enrolled at UC.
“For these students, college wasn’t a given,” says Ossowski. “They recognize the value in being here and want to make the most of it for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
Utica College Drama Club, 1958
PIONEER PAST
If the members of UC’s drama club look a little bored in their 1958 yearbook photo, they have good reason: Noted in a caption beside the photo, the club—dubbed “The Gaslighters”—performed the same one-act play for local high-schoolers more than 20 times that fall.
