Ed Burke still remembers the first time he stepped on to the State University of New York at New Paltz campus, and it didn't take him long to realize that New Paltz was the place for him.
Nearly 30 years later, Burke still gets the same feeling every time he steps foot on campus, which is often for the New Paltz resident.
"When I came to New Paltz I knew within five minutes that was where I was going," said Burke, a 1990 graduate. "I still have that feeling from a visual aspect. When you step on campus and you see the bridge, and how beautiful the location is and how nice the town is, just has that warm cozy feel to it and everybody who comes back to visit says the same thing too."
Burke transferred from Suffolk Community College and starred on the Hawks men's soccer team under coach Art Goon, garnering All-SUNYAC honorable mention nods in 1988 and 1989, as well as being named team captain during his collegiate career.
"Being a student athlete was one of the best times of my life," Burke said. "It taught me a lot about myself. It really helped me learned to manage time, deal with adversity and balance schedules."
New Paltz is also what brought him together with wife Jill, who was one of the most decorated swimmers for the Hawks in the early 1990's.
During her four years, Burke ('92) was a four-time SUNYAC champion under legendary coach Art Stockin, including a three-time conference winner in the 400-individual medley and was later inducted to the SUNY New Paltz Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
But for Jill, she ended up at SUNY New Paltz by chance — and as fate would have it, it changed her life.
"I actually applied late, so that's why I ended up coming here," she explained. "But I also knew a friend of ours that I swam with in high school, he swam here and his dad was my coach in high school and he recommended it."
After meeting at a New Paltz reunion down on Long Island in the summer of 1992, the pair hit it off. Jill was finishing her last semester at school, while Ed was running Gourmet Pizza on Main Street. After Jill graduated that December, the pair decided to stay in the area.
"Being that I had a business in town and our relationship was moving on, Jill ended up moving up here and we got married in 1995," Ed said. "New Paltz was so good to us when we met and being young and in your 20's living in New Paltz was great. Then raising your family here you saw a whole other aspect of New Paltz."
The Burke's have raised their three sons in the area the last 21 years and has stayed involved within the community.
Ed, who is in the SUNY New Paltz School of Business Hall of Fame, has been the chair of the Business Advisory Council for the past three years, while Jill has been active in the New Paltz Youth Basketball Association. Both also continue to contribute to the School of Business and the athletic department. Most recently, they were a part of the group that sponsored the annual Athletics BBQ back in August, providing food and drinks to all the student athletes and staff.
"We're on campus quite a bit," Ed said. "My niece played field hockey during the four years they won SUNYACs… so we have a good family connection here."
"We have gym memberships — I should say I should be there more — but we do have gym memberships so we can go and work out, and my kids have memberships so they're allowed to go and shoot around in the gym, which is awesome," Jill added.
As it turns out, the Burkes will be back in the Hawk Center Saturday, but this time they'll be in a different colored apparel, supporting their son C.J as he suits up for SUNY Geneseo when the Knights take on SUNY New Paltz in men's basketball.
"I feel guilty wearing a Geneseo shirt to be honest with you, but I have to support my son," Jill said. "Any other game we're definitely supporting New Paltz. Granted, we're not looking for New Paltz to lose or Geneseo to win or vice versa, we just want to see a good game. We know a lot of the kids on New Paltz team, so we just want them to have a good game. Any outcome is the outcome."
Despite sitting on the visitor's side of the bleachers Saturday, the Burkes will always be in support of the Hawks at heart. Their collegiate careers led them to each other and the lives they have in the community today.
"For me, everything I have in my life right now I attribute it to my experience at New Paltz," Ed added. "Every page I turn has just been very positive. I take a lot of pride in helping the students who are here now. I am able to share some of my experiences that I hope will help the students maybe not make as many mistakes as I did. I can point them in the right direction is some way, shape or form."
