Club Spotlight: Cheese Club

One Sharp Idea That Brought Students Together

When McKenzie Ponto ’26 arrived at Le Moyne after transferring to The Heights, she was looking for a way to feel more connected to campus.

She started thinking about something fun. Something simple. Something that could bring people together.

Then inspiration struck:

Why not start a cheese club?

It may sound unexpected, but for McKenzie, cheese has always been part of her story. As a middle school student visiting Vermont with her family, she insisted on stopping at Cabot Creamery to learn how cheese is made, a request that surprised even her parents.

Years later, that lifelong curiosity became the foundation for one of our newest student organizations.

Today, the Cheese Club welcomes dozens of students to meetings where members sample cheeses, learn how they’re made, discover perfect pairings, and, of course, enjoy plenty of conversation. The club regularly attracts 45–60 students and was named New Club of the Year at the 2025 Dolphins’ Choice Awards.

But the club is about more than cheese.

For McKenzie, creating the organization was a way to build community, develop leadership skills, and help other students find connections across campus.

She was right.

Whether you’re interested in starting your own organization or joining one of the many already on campus, Le Moyne makes it easy to turn an idea into a community.

And yes members have learned that an appreciation for sharp cheddar pairs surprisingly well with friendship, creativity, and more than a few cheesy puns.