Alex Khadjadorian

Alex Khadjadorian

When it came to college, Alex Khadjadorian had a choice to make.

Long interested in biomedical engineering, the Vestal High School graduate didn’t make the cut at two of his top schools for the program: Stonybrook and Binghamton University. He was accepted at the University at Buffalo, but experienced a bit of sticker shock when he looked at the cost of tuition and of leaving home.

“So the decision was, do I go to Buffalo or to Broome?” he recalled.

He chose his local community college, where he majored in Engineering Science. After a year, he was able to successfully transfer into one of the programs that initially rejected him: Binghamton University, where he is now majoring in biomedical engineering and also following a pre-med trajectory.

“Everything transferred over smoothly, allowing me to enter BU as a full sophomore,” he said.

His successful transfer doesn’t mean that he gave up his chance to earn a SUNY Broome degree, however. He still has the option to complete his SUNY Broome Engineering Science degree through a process known as reverse transfer, in which credits are transferred back to SUNY Broome – at no cost to the student.

Learn more about our Engineering Science program.

Learn more about reverse transfer.

Medicine and engineering

Staying local has its benefits. When he was 17, Alex became involved in emergency medical services through the Apalachin Fire Department, where he volunteers. Because he stayed local for college, he was able to take an extracurricular class in Tioga County and become certified in EMT critical care, a step below a paramedic. The certification and related volunteer work allow him to save lives and gain needed experience – a bonus for a future doctor.

That isn’t to say that his SUNY Broome classes were easy – far from it, he said.

“Going into it, I thought it would be an extension of high school; I thought it would be 13th grade,” he admitted. “The coursework was a lot more difficult than I expected. I grew as a future professional and as a student during my year at Broome.”

What he enjoyed most about his SUNY Broome experience: The professors, who are accessible to students and truly wish to see them succeed. He particularly appreciated Chemistry Professor Joel Miller, who he had for several classes. “He really had a lot of interesting things to say and I think he was a really great teacher,” Alex said.

Outside of class, Alex also landed an internship with BAE Systems, thanks to an on-campus interview and SUNY Broome’s Applied and Career Center.

Looking ahead, he would like to combine his interests in medicine and engineering. He had first considered becoming an engineer, before his involvement in EMS prompted his interest in the medicine. In some senses, the fields aren’t as far apart as they may initially seem.

“I became very interested in how drugs influence the body, and the different systems of the body,” he explained. “It’s kind of like how you can take a computer apart and see how the parts work together.”

With a biomedical engineering background, his career options as a physician are broad. Perhaps he may one day work with prosthetics or pacemakers, or tap into nanotechnology, stem cell research or pharmaceuticals. He has time to discover his true passion, and the journey is sure to be fascinating.

Whatever bright horizons his future holds, he appreciates his start at SUNY Broome.

“When I talk to people, I always tell them: ‘Don’t be afraid to start at Broome,’” he said. “Smaller classes are less intimidating than a big lecture hall, and you’ll save a lot of money. You get a good quality education.”

Tags: ,