FUTURE PLANS:
Steve loves working with numbers, and in the future, he would like to make his mark in finance.  In Steve’s words, “After graduation, I plan to take the CFA exam. Then I want to take time off from schooling and get first-hand working experience at some firm. It may vary from a small desk job of keeping accounts to assisting someone in something more along the lines of budgeting. But I want at least a year or two of that experience before I go to graduate school for my MBA.”

CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT:
Steve served as an Orientation Leader in the College’s 2008 Summer Orientation.  He works with the First Year Experience office as a VIP (Very Influential Peer), participating in related events on campus and serving as a teaching assistant in a College Life class for freshmen.  He also serves as a note-taker through Student Disability Services.

Steve has been elected as a Student Association senator and will serve on the Finance Committee.  He is a staff reporter and treasurer of the State Times, the weekly student newspaper.  He is the President of the Finance Club, holds offices with the Racquetball and Badminton clubs, and captains an intramural indoor soccer team.  Steve also volunteers through CHOICES (Choosing Healthier Options in the College Environment Successfully), a campus organization that helps college and local high-school students by giving them facts about life-style choices.

WHY ONEONTA:
Steve tells an interesting story about his choice of colleges: “To be honest, originally I had no choice. I missed out on the fall applications, and by the time I made up my mind about where I wanted to apply, time was fast slipping by. By mid-September any college seemed good. I figured once I was here at Oneonta, I would transfer if I did not like it, and I had mentally prepared myself not to like the college. But once I was here, I think it took me three days to realize that I wanted to graduate from Oneonta, and the thought has only become much stronger over the past semesters.”

What is the most influential class you have taken at Oneonta? 
It would have to be US History 1 taught by Professor Jeffrey Fortin. It was my “initiation” into the past of the country. As someone who had no knowledge about the history of the country, I feel fortunate to have taken the class with him. He made the class as interesting as possible, and that is saying something, considering it was an 8 a.m. class. (History + Early mornings…not the best combination.)  But it worked, mainly due to how intrigued I was with the past of the country and how exciting the professor managed to make it for me.

What is your most memorable experience at Oneonta?
My whole experience while working as an Orientation Leader over the summer.  Working with 20 other fantastic students and a great set of faculty and staff definitely qualifies as memorable.  If ever a job could be described as all work while play, it would be this job. I met the amazing incoming class of 2012, who for the most part live up to their billing as one of the best classes ever accepted at Oneonta. I got to grow as a person and work in a group. I met influential faculty and staff, who always made people feel comfortable and assisted them with their needs.  My fellow orientation leaders were like a family.  I am glad that this experience helped me meet such people, some of whom I have come to grow very fond of and can count among my closest confidants.

What three words summarize your experience at Oneonta?
SO MUCH FUN! It was the slogan we used often during Orientation. Between the class of incoming freshmen and the Orientation Leaders, we used to always scream, “So Much Fun!” when we were excited because of all the fun we were having over the summer at school. It kind of stood for the great time we were having while being an Orientation Leader, spending our summer at school and still having a blast.
 
What advice do you have for high school students?
It may sound cliché, but there is this quote I once heard on television. It goes, “There comes a moment when it's more than just a game, and you either take that step forward or turn around and walk away. I could quit but here's the thing, I love the playing field.” The words speak for themselves, and this is what I would tell every freshman. It all comes down to that choice and your will to keep moving forward.  There will be moments when it seems like all the walls are caving in at the same time, but the trick is to keep that fire of life burning. The desire to excel in every endeavor you undertake, and giving it your whole heart, will make you victorious in the end.