SUNY Broome Community College was honored to welcome Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado to campus Thursday, March 20 for a roundtable discussion with seven brilliant SUNY Broome students. Eva Albin, Hiba Khan, Dylan Heier, Adrianna Palmer, Sasha Asinovsky, Esper Bausenwein and Wilber Granados took part in a rich conversation centered around service, values, civic engagement, and building community.
With much uncertainty in the current political landscape, Governor Kathy Hochul’s second in command asked how the students — each an active leader on campus and in their community — are coping with rapid changes happening at the federal level.
“Hard times are hard, plain and simple, and this time is particularly hard,” Esper Bausenwein, Student Assembly Senator, said. “But it’s because it is so difficult, that I feel empowered to keep moving. I have to see the other side of this and I feel like it is my job to inspire people to do the same.”
It’s a sentiment Delgado called “profound” as he spoke about the importance of finding the strength to persevere, even when advocacy and action feels inadequate.
“I try to think about those who were before me, who experienced even darker times, more challenging times,” Delgado said. “If they didn’t keep fighting, during that period of time, to get to the other side — then there wouldn’t have been an other side.”
We appreciate Lt. Governor Delgado’s interest in the perspectives, experiences and ideas of this remarkable group. There is no doubt that they will be formidable leaders, wherever their future takes them.
Submitted by: MarCom
Tags: Civic Engagement
