EOP is a statewide program celebrating its 50th year of existence.  The program has impacted the lives of thousands of students who, had it not been for EOP, would not have had access to institutions of higher education.

SUNY Broome EOP currently serves 83 students. The program provides a support system to students who are academically and economically disadvantaged. EOP students are among some of the most resilient students on any campus and ours is no exception. As a way of honoring our history, we have decided to highlight current EOP students by bringing you their stories and their thoughts and reflections about the ways the program has impacted their time here in their own words. 

Desiree Bonaparte

Desiree Bonaparte

Desiree Bonaparte is a Criminal Justice major in her last semester here at SUNY Broome. Here is her story:

As a college student straight out of Evander Childs High School in 2016, I made the decision of continuing my education at SUNY Broome Community College. Growing up, college played a huge role in my household and family. I made the decision to start my college education at a community college first before attending a four-year institution. I was unsure about obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree at the time. Before Broome, my mind was set on working hard and achieving my Associate’s Degree within absolutely two years and hopefully start my career as a Police Officer working for the New York Police Department (NYPD).

As of now, I am currently 19 years old and will be graduating with my Associates degree from Broome in May 2018. While attending Broome, I did research to weigh out my options about what I wanted to do after graduating. According to the NYPD, to be hired as a Police Officer you must be 21 or older. After reading the career hiring requirements, I made the decision to further my education at a four-year institution starting in Fall 2018. It is important to me that I move forward and will not let time be wasted.

When I started college, the biggest challenges I faced were learning how to study and handle the amount of credits I was taking. It was important that I learned study strategies and time management quickly before I made a mistake with my work in school. When I struggled with a course, I learned college textbooks had to be read and the class notes were not enough. Taking the time to reach out to my professors for help and reading the textbook helped with the challenges I faced. As a result, I am academically successful and will carry these strategies with me to the four-year institution I will be attending.

Majoring in Criminal Justice has been interesting and very inspiring. I look up to my mother because she is my motivational force. My mother works for the NYPD as a Crime Analyst. It feels good to hear her stories related to her career and make me want to do the job also. It sparked my interest in becoming a Police Officer, hoping to be successful in my career and later become a Detective. I enjoy helping people, problem solving, and putting clues together to find an outcome.

EOP is a program that can be helpful and is always there if you need it. I am more than thankful for being part of this program. Now that I am making the effort to transfer to a four-year institution, I was able to ask questions about the process. I could not have done it without them! EOP motivated me to apply to the top four-year institutions and I’m glad that I did. I appreciate the way the staff shows concern for the students and encourages us to do our best.

 

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