Abigail Allen has a knack for coming up with quirky events that bring people together.
For example, there was the “diversity cupcakes” night, during which Student Village residents made artful creations out of frosting and shared stories from their own lives and cultures. They broke out their green thumb during another fun event, in which they potted plants and then customized the planters. Movie nights, talks on stress reduction – and, of course, that fun yet informative evening when they wore vision impairment goggles and tried to run relay races.
Event programming is part of a resident assistant’s job, and Abigail has it down to a science. For her ideas, the Syracuse native searches online – but often she simply looks around, sees what she has to work with, and then engages in some creative problem-solving.
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In some senses, it may seem surprising that Abigail chose to become an RA in SUNY Broome’s residence hall. The Health Studies major can be a bit shy, she admitted, but she wanted to break out of her shell.
“I really wanted to help people and get out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I met a lot of amazing people. I love my residents and I love programming.”
Graduating in May, she plans to transfer into SUNY Upstate Medical University’s College of Nursing, with the goal of becoming an emergency room nurse.
“I took a phlebotomy course, and I had my clinicals over at the hospital. I enjoy how fast-paced it is, how each day is different,” she explained. “It’s exciting.”
Learn about Health Studies at SUNY Broome.
Learn about earning a Certificate in Phlebotomy.
She chose SUNY Broome after a college tour, and has enjoyed her time in the Health Studies program. Going to a school in a small area, rather than a large city, has helped her feel more at home.
Her top professors include Diane Kelly in biology and Jesse Boring in psychology; both go in-depth and make their classes interesting and engaging. Health Information Technology instructor Stephanie Albitz is also a favorite.
“I liked how small the campus is, the small classes and how interactive the professors are,” she said of SUNY Broome.
Tags: Health Studies AAS and AS, Housing, Phlebotomy Cert, Profile
