Kimberlee Freer ’18, a marketing major from Stamford, N.Y., is this year’s recipient of the $5,000 Lonnstrom HEOP Excellence Award.
Freer will begin working as a sales agent for New York Life Insurance in Latham right after graduation. She realized during her college internships at Empire Acquisition, Siena’s Student Life office, and the YMCA in Oneonta that she enjoyed sales and wanted to pursue a career where that would be her focus.
“I really love to talk to people and figure out ways to benefit them,” she explained. “I’m looking forward to doing just that when I start my job at New York Life.”
The annual award was established in 2014 by Douglas Lonnstrom ’66, Ph.D., professor of quantitative business analysis, and his wife, Cris, to aid high achieving HEOP students in pursuing their careers following graduation from Siena.
"Kimberlee supports herself and has been an excellent student and a credit to Siena,” said Dr. Lonnstrom. “This award will help her reduce her loan debt and get a head start on her career."
While at Siena, Freer was involved in several intramural sports, as well as the Love Your Melon and FeelGood charities. She studied abroad in Siena, Italy during her junior year.
From her freshman year to preparing to graduate this May, Freer has a lot of positive things to say about the College. Coming to Siena from her small rural Delaware County school was a “big adjustment,” but she said she quickly felt comfortable on campus.
“My district had one school building for kids in pre-K through grade 12,” she explained. “Our graduating class had 30 students. Siena was so welcoming and there was such a sense of community that I felt right at home.”
Freer chose Siena because of its strong School of Business and its alumni connections.
“Once you’re a Saint, you’re always a Saint,” she said. “Alumni from Siena really stick together after graduation.”
