CAREER GOAL:
A career in events management in the tri-state area.

WHY ONEONTA:
When you ask Sarah why she chose Oneonta, she’s ready with a whole of list of reasons. “It has an absolutely beautiful campus. It has a great reputation among the SUNY schools. It’s a good distance from my home. And the people are so welcoming and friendly.” But the most important factor, she says, is the range of academic and extracurricular choices. “There are a lot of options and opportunities,” she explains. “There’s almost nothing you can’t find here.”

ACADEMIC HONORS:
A Dean’s List student, Sarah received the highest academic honor available to SUNY students: the 2009 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. She was also named one of Oneonta’s Best & Brightest and presented with the Susan Sutton Smith Award.

MOST INFLUENTIAL CLASS:
A member of the Omicron Delta Kappa and Lambda Pi Eta honor societies, Sarah has taken several memorable classes, but the most influential was Survey of Communication Arts. The class introduced her to the field of communications and the careers associated with it and helped her realize that she wanted a career in event planning. Among her other favorite classes were Gender Communications (“really interesting, with an amazing professor”) and Conflict Management (“something you can definitely use out in the professional world”).

What activities are you involved in at Oneonta?
I’m President of the College Union Activities Council (CUAC) and President of the Senior Class. This year, I helped plan OH-Fest, which is a really fun, really big spring event with headline performers and carnival attractions up and down Main Street in the city. Working with CUAC, we did more than 200 events this year--concerts, lectures, movies, and special events--and the leadership experience has been incredibly valuable.

What three words summarize your experience at Oneonta?
Exciting, Valuable, Unforgettable.

What advice do you have for high school students considering Oneonta?
My advice is to focus on what you enjoy doing but also be open to new experiences and opportunities. Eventually you will find your place here...everyone does! When I got here, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I got involved and I got great ideas. It’s definitely ok if you’re not sure what you want to study or get involved with. You’ll find out.