Cassandra Skolnick

Alumna chooses a career in advocacy to improve others’ lives 

By Christine McGrath  

Skolnick with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, one of her role models; they had a wonderful conversation about the work Skolnick is doing and Clinton provided words of encouragement.

Cassandra Skolnick ’22 gave up a high-profile job in banking to finish her undergraduate degree in her late 30s. When she applied to Stony Brook University in 2019 to complete her degree in women’s studies, she didn’t know what to expect. Little did she know that a pandemic would hit and she’d have to start classes remotely. However, she didn’t let that stop her from fully immersing herself into campus life. 

As a lifelong activist, Skolnick loved all the opportunities that Stony Brook offered to get involved with issues she cared about. From working as a coordinator for the LGBTQ* Center to becoming an Alumni Leader of the Future with the Alumni Association, Skolnick created a path for herself at SBU that she describes as “the most rewarding and enriching experience of her life.”

Twenty years earlier, Skolnick was studying psychology at another university but felt that the program didn’t resonate with her. “I’ve always been someone who wants to be the voice for people who don’t have a voice, and I knew if I continued my studies, it wasn’t going to be right for me.” 

She decided to leave the university and get a job in the corporate world, knowing that she could always go back to earn a degree. In the ensuing years, she took jobs as a computer programmer and in banking; however, her zeal for activism and being an advocate for others remained strong.

One day, in her role as a bank manager, she overheard a customer service representative speaking to a woman who missed two mortgage payments and was trying to submit a payment. “The bank had a policy that if someone missed two payments, we had to lock the account and eventually the bank would try to foreclose on the home,” said Skolnick. “Something sparked in me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing that this woman and her two kids might not have a roof over their heads.” 

Knowing she could lose her job, Skolnick unlocked the account and accepted the payment. The next day she handed over her keys and told her regional manager that she wanted to be in the business of helping people, not hurting them. “I knew that day that I was going to find my way back to school and take a different path,” she said.

Skolnick with actress Isabella Rossellini, who is also an activist for women’s rights.

This time, she wanted to take her love of activism and feminism further. She scanned the list of SBU degrees as she filled out her application and was intrigued by the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program. “I saw this degree as an opportunity to engage with other feminists and learn from their experiences,” said Skolnick. 

She reached out to Nancy Hiemstra, director of undergraduate studies for WGSS, to learn more. At that time, students didn’t typically enter Stony Brook with a declared major in WGSS, so she wanted to be the first. And her time in the program was exactly what she envisioned. 

“All of the professors encouraged discussions and active participation,” she said. “I felt each class nurtured the growth of interdisciplinary skills, which were critical to my success beyond academia.” 

Skolnick finished her degree in two years, with Hiemstra as her mentor. “Nancy consistently pushed me to delve as deep as possible into feminist issues. Working as her research assistant throughout my undergraduate career, her guidance broadened my feminist perspective on immigration and the inhumane detention of migrants,” she said. 

Skolnick, center back, with interns in the S.A.F.E. program.

Hiemstra remembers Skolnick as “a top student who led her peers in productive discussions and took advantage of every opportunity to advance her understanding of complex topics,” adding that “she carefully tailored her studies to facilitate her goal of working for progressive social change and inclusion.”

Skolnick focused on her studies, and somehow found the time to work at the LGBTQ* Center, chair the Women’s History Month committee for the Office of Multicultural Affairs and founded the nonprofit Society of Advocates Fighting for Equality Inc. (S.A.F.E.), lobbying for progressive legislation and equal rights. As an Alumni Leader of the Future, she would often take part in networking events to bring students and alumni together. 

In 2022, before she graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, Skolnick earned a Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, which acknowledges students for outstanding achievements in areas such as academics, leadership and community service. “I had won awards before in my banking career, but this award reassured me that I was on the right path in my new career and aspirations,” she said.

Cassandra Skolnick with Errol Cockfield ‘94, the president of the Stony Brook Alumni Association Board, after receiving her 2024 40 Under Forty award this past October.

In a full-circle moment, Skolnick was a 2024 40 Under Forty honoree for her work in activism and in the media. “It was a surreal moment when I got the award, an affirmation of my successes,” she said. “This award meant a lot to me and solidified the passion and love I have for Stony Brook.”

Today, Skolnick is continuing her work with S.A.F.E., going into communities and speaking with people about different policies and how the organization can help improve their lives. She is the president of the Suffolk County chapter of the National Organization for Women, and is running her own media company, Veris Media Group LLC. 

“Stony Brook empowered me to take the leap into the nonprofit world,” Skolnick said. “My professors pushed me to establish Veris Media, which allows us to amplify the voice of those who might be marginalized. We will never publish a story that doesn’t have the voice of the people being discussed.” Skolnick’s goal is to grow Veris Media so that it can eventually compete with local and national media organizations. “I believe we offer a different take on the media, while remaining unbiased and nonpolitical,” she said.

Skolnick is also getting her voice heard with local and national politicians. She’s working with former U.S. House of Representatives member Carolyn Maloney on the Sign4ERA campaign, which is aiming to recognize the Equal Rights Amendment into the U.S. Constitution as the 28th Amendment, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all 50 states (it has not been ratified by all states yet). Last year, Skolnick met with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at an event where they discussed her work with Maloney. “Hillary Clinton encouraged me to keep up my advocacy work, acknowledging that the younger generation has a voice that needs to be heard,” said Skolnick. “That was so meaningful for me.”

Skolnick said she hopes to become a professor some day and teach about the importance of having one’s voice heard. She wants younger generations to understand that society is constantly evolving. “Even in my feminist theory studies, it was so great to learn what those before me faced, but I used that knowledge and built on it,” she said. “We need to understand that in these modern times, we have to learn to adapt and change so we can all help to make this world a better place for everyone.”