The life of Geneseo alumnus Sean Ryan '07 lives on through Sean's Traveling Trunk, which contains books that school-age students use in Geneseo's Rochester Young Scholars Academy Program.
GENESEO, N.Y. – SUNY Geneseo and the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County are holding a special event Jan. 27 to remember the life and legacy of the late College alumnus Sean Francis Ryan ’07 and to celebrate the remarkable decade-long partnership that has evolved between Geneseo and the library with Sean’s Traveling Trunk. The program is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Secret Room of the Children’s Library, 115 South Ave. in Rochester, and will include a special remembrance ceremony for Sean.
Sean combined hard work with a wonderful sense of humor, a love of learning, and the support of his parents, Suzanne and Frank Ryan, to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in childhood education from the College. While earning his master’s degree in literacy at SUNY Fredonia 10 years ago, Sean’s life was tragically cut short by a fatal car accident. Though Sean did not live on to become the amazing teacher that so many hoped for, his parents determined that his enjoyment of reading and his legacy would continue through Sean’s Traveling Trunk and the Rochester Young Scholars Academy (RYSA) at the Children Library and Teen Central. The trunk is filled with interesting and relevant books for children and young adults.
RYSA operates within the Ella Cline Shear School of Education. The program is led by its director, Susan Norman, who coordinates the logistical operations to provide students grades K-12 with tutoring and enrichment programming and pre-service educators with clinically rich community experiences. She also teaches a pre-tutoring seminar on Clinically Rich Multicultural Teacher Education to undergraduate college students before the beginning of each RYSA session.
Over the past decade, hundreds of tutors from SUNY Geneseo’s School of Education program have traveled from Geneseo to Rochester each Saturday to learn about being culturally responsive educators and to provide high impact and free tutoring services to City of Rochester students.
“RYSA is the real deal,” said Xandi Dimatteo, Teen Central Librarian. “The program makes impactful connections and gets results.”
Saturday’s ceremony will be followed with a fun-filled “Book Tasting” event for children and youth stationed at the Children’s Library and Teen Central. The event will end with a reception in the Beehive room of the newly renovated second floor of the Bausch and Lomb building of the library at 115 South Avenue in Rochester NY, 14604. For questions, contact norman@geneseo.edu.