Larry Sorokes
By Kerri Linsenbigler
Features Editor
For Larry Sorokes, ’82, Bonaventure is in his blood.
Not only did Sorokes attend Bonaventure, but so did his wife and three daughters.
“I think within my immediate family, we have 25 Bonaventure degrees,” Sorokes said.
With such a strong connection, it seems only natural Sorokes rejoined the Bona Bubble as an employee. In 2008, Sorokes left his position as a vice-president of Jamestown Community College (JCC) to start the Father Mychal Judge Center at his alma mater.
“That’s really what kind of brought me here,” Sorokes said. “I got to know Sr. Margaret (Carney, O.S.F., university president) well through my work (at JCC). She was looking for someone to start the Father Mychal Judge program, and I was looking for something new to do.”
And there was no shortage of new adventures waiting for him at Bonaventure. Since beginning the Father Mychal Judge Center, Sorokes has been the associate vice president for Franciscan mission and the leader of the Center for Community Engagement (CCE). As head of the CCE, Sorokes coordinated programs such as Bona Buddies and the Warming House.
“I was involved in getting students and faculty out in the community,” Sorokes said. “We also had what we would call community based research, where perhaps a faculty member would come to me and say ‘Look, I’d like to send my students out to consult with non-profits. Who can we send them to?’ and I would line up the experiences for them.”
Students might also recognize Sorokes from Sunday Mass. Last year, when there was a temporary vacancy in the choir, Sorokes stepped in to lead the students. Sorokes played piano in addition to leading hymns.
After losing its funding, the CCE disbanded over the summer. This once again gave Sorokes an opportunity to take on a new position at Bonaventure. Currently, he holds the title of associate vice president and executive director for grants administration and lifelong learning.
“About 75 percent of my time will be spent helping faculty, staff and even students find external sources of funding through grants,” Sorokes said. “We’ve always had some level of grant support here, but this is kind of a new phase where I’ll be spending most of my time.”
Sorokes said he hopes to have students become more involved in the grant process through student work positions. Students will hone grant-writing skills and learn more about the grant process, he said.
To better incorporate lifelong learning, Sorokes said he wants to increase adult education on campus and maybe open the Ireland trip taken by a senior forum class each spring to adults in the community.
“That’s what I like about working in higher ed,” Sorokes said. “There’s always some new idea or innovation on the horizon that you can get involved in.”
*”Bonaventure’s unsung heroes” will profile extraordinary faculty, staff and administrators throughout the semester.
