Once a Seawolf…

For Kate Valerio MS ’04, her Stony Brook story continues, even in retirement

By Rob Emproto

Kate Valerio in one of her many Stony Brook homes, the WUSB-FM studio.

If you visit Kathleen (Kate) Valerio’s page on job site LinkedIn, the very first line reads, “RETIRED and doing what I want to do!” 

For many retirees, that means sleeping late, going to the beach or focusing on a hobby. For Valerio, a former longtime member of Stony Brook’s Division of Student Affairs, it means spending her days as a mentor with SBU’s International Friends and Family Program; as a community volunteer with the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, the New York Blood Center and Pedals for Progress; and as an ambassador for the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. And if that’s not enough, did you know she’s also a radio host of two shows on WUSB, Stony Brook’s FM station?

“I’m a ‘failed retiree,’” said Valerio, a title bestowed upon her by a guest during a recent WUSB interview. As for her retirement from her 20-plus-year career at the university, Valerio is as busy — if not busier — than ever. The nine-to-five work is off her table, but the work of helping others in the Stony Brook community goes on.

A Seawolf Is Born
When Valerio thinks of how long her relationship with Stony Brook goes back, she doesn’t need to look any further than her son, Tommy. It was in 1996 when a five months’ pregnant Valerio went into early labor after returning home to Lake Grove, Long Island, from a concert in New Jersey. Suddenly, the place that had previously been “that big building over there” — a reference to the two Health Sciences towers that dominate the landscape — became a source of dire emergency care. 

“Stony Brook University Hospital not only saved me; it also saved my son, who is now a thriving 28-year-old,” said Valerio. “That’s where my love for Stony Brook started.” 

Little did she know that that happy ending would signal the beginning of a Seawolf story that continues to this day. 

Two years after the birth of her son, Valerio decided to finish her then-uncompleted college degree, and Stony Brook’s Health Sciences towers called to her again, this time via an undergraduate internship at SBU while a student with Empire State College. This experience inspired her to pursue a master’s in health technology and management at SBU, earning that degree in 2004.  

“There’s a magic to this place and a power to change the world for the better. They’ll never get rid of me.”
— Kate Valerio, MS ’04

In what would become a recurring theme in Valerio’s career, one Stony Brook chapter came to an end, and another was waiting to be written. This time, as she pursued her master’s degree, the opportunity for an internship with Student Health Services (SHS) arose in 2000.

At that time, the director of SHS saw Valerio as a good fit to support the CHOICE (Choosing Healthy Options in the College Environment) peer education program. As a graduate intern, and then as a hired health counselor, Valerio co-instructed CHOICE. “The experience just blew my mind,” she said. “I fell in love with the power of experiential learning and peer-to-peer education.” 

Pulling inspiration from a tragedy she experienced working in the airline industry in her early 20s — when a friend and coworker committed suicide upon receiving an HIV diagnosis — Valerio’s internship experience helped her identify the need for a peer program to focus on college students’ physical and mental well-being. 

“That tragic experience changed me forever and inspired my future involvement in suicide risk and prevention,” she said. “Coupled with my experiences co-instructing CHOICE, it supported my interest in developing a mental health-focused, peer education program.” 

With professional support from SBU’s Counseling Center, Valerio co-created the Chill Peer Education program. In 2006, Chill enrolled its first 22 students in a two-semester internship focusing on study and outreach linked to peer mental health and wellness. During her 20-plus years as an instructor, Valerio estimates that more than 1,000 students successfully completed training. 

Continuing a partnership between SBU and the New York Blood Center (NYBC) that began in 2000, Valerio still works to host community blood drives and encourage students to donate blood and become lifetime donors. In 2008, as the advisor to SHAC (the SBU Student Health Advisory Committee), she was asked to accept the role of advisor to the Student Blood Drive Committee. Her first — and second — response was “no!” 

“I really didn’t have the time to do it, I was very involved in other things,” she said. However, as the group required an advisor to remain active, she reluctantly agreed. “The students were so dedicated and I totally bought into it.” 

These blood drives, spearheaded by the Student Blood Drive Committee, have averaged 1,500 blood donations each academic year. On February 22, 2024, Stony Brook and NYBC celebrated an impressive milestone: 100,000 lives saved through 33,334 blood donations from Stony Brook students (each donation helps three people). 

On the Radio
Though Valerio didn’t know it at the time, her Stony Brook career path would still have some curves left. In 2010, she was invited to be a guest on a WUSB radio show called “Taking Care of Yourself.” In 2012, the show’s creator invited her to join the weekly broadcast as co-host. When he retired in 2019, Valerio took over as host until the COVID pandemic, when she retired.   

Valerio with her father, Korean War Army veteran and Long Island State Veterans Home resident, Desmond Cooke, at the 2024 Memorial Wreath Ceremony.

Despite being retired, Valerio’s passion for causes and the inspiration she bestowed continues.
Valerio encouraged Allison Van Cott, a graduate student in the School of Social Welfare, to take over her radio time slot. Van Cott created a new show — “Play It Forward” — dedicated to opioid awareness.

“I have always called her ‘The Great Kate,’” said Van Cott. “I’ll always be grateful to her for her guidance and mentorship as a student at SBU. I loved being a Chill intern, and I learned so much from that work. I fell in love with WUSB because of Kate, and her encouragement and support with “Play It Forward” is something I will always be thankful for.” 

Looking back, Valerio said one of the things she’s most proud of is passing her passion on to students like Van Cott. 

“I love the magic of a student who comes in and wants to make the world a better place, but just hasn’t been given an opportunity,” she said. “I’ve got a bucket full of things they can do, and they do. They’re my heart and soul. I’m so appreciative for how much my students have taught me.” 

And much like during her career, that’s what stokes Valerio’s Seawolf spirit even in retirement. 

“I take personal satisfaction in knowing that somewhere out there, someone is getting a pint of blood from one of our campus blood drives and it’s saving somebody’s son or daughter,” she said. “I’ve always been about people. The world is tough enough.” 

Valerio’s desire to help people continues back on the airwaves, as she returned to WUSB as the pandemic subsided. She now hosts two bi-weekly interview shows: “Health Matters,” where guests have included SBU mental and physical health providers and area nonprofits providing no-cost health services, and “Community Corner,” with guests such as Fred Sganga, director of the Long Island State Veterans Home, and various student leaders of public service organizations.

“I’m not much for hobbies, but I do enjoy time to garden, travel and spend time with family,” she said. “Retirement is good, change is great. It’s an honor, and I so enjoy connecting area nonprofits and recognized, vetted organizations to students seeking an opportunity to help. Students find themselves at Stony Brook. There’s a magic to this place and a power to change the world for the better. They’ll never get rid of me.” 

Listen to Kate Valerio on WUSB every other Thursday from 1 pm to 2 pm. Visit wusb.fm for the full schedule or to listen online.