By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

Spend 10 minutes with Business Administration: A.S. student, Bryson Castro, and you’ll find that he is the epitome of a young man of excellence. In just one semester, he has enthusiastically embraced student life at SUNY Broome, serving as Chief of Staff of the College’s Student Assembly, and joining the Business Club, Toastmasters International, and Men of Excellence. His zeal and zest for campus engagement is unparalleled – and he’s only just getting started. 

A child of the United States Air Force, Castro spent his youth bouncing between bases throughout the U.S. and Europe. After stints in Mississippi, Colorado, and Illinois, his family relocated to the Southern Tier of New York, just in time for eighth grade. By the time he entered his senior year at Owego Free Academy (OFA), he had officially spent the most amount of his life as a resident of Broome/Tioga counties. 

Castro’s high school years primarily focused on athletics, rotating between soccer, basketball, track, and cross country. But between practices and games, he dabbled in his side interests of community development, leveraging economic growth, and local networking.

“My mom is the CEO of the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce, and she wanted to create an opportunity for students to have a seat at the table to connect with local businesses,” Castro explained. “As her son, I was a built-in volunteer to help her pilot the Junior Chamber program, and I ended up really loving it. We got to participate in economic forecasting meetings and fundraising events, and even got to meet with government officials.”

Senior year at OFA challenged Castro to lock in on college planning. Initially interested in attending one of SUNY’s University Centers, the self-funded student shifted his focus to the more financially friendly option of community colleges — specifically, SUNY Broome.

“SUNY Broome was by far the most economically sound option for me,” Castro shared. “Between financial aid and scholarships from the SUNY Broome Foundation, all of my costs were covered.” 

Contrary to the Gen Z stereotype, Castro never shies away from person-to-person interactions. Innately affable and optimistic, it’s no surprise that his professional goals include public speaking and public service.  So, what does an aspiring motivational speaker and political official study in college? For Castro, the answer turned out to be Business Administration: A.S.

Bryson’s best advice for future students: “Don’t be afraid to take the first step of coming to SUNY Broome!”
Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

“I think having a foundation in business administration is versatile enough to apply to both politics and public speaking,” Castro said. “I’m hoping to transfer to the University at Albany for my bachelor’s degree, and SUNY Broome has a direct transfer path.” 

As he counted down the days until his first semester, Castro received an invitation to join SUNY Broome’s Men of Excellence (MoE) program. Designed to empower male students of color, the MoE program connects its members to campus resources, leadership trainings, and one-on-one mentors. Never one to say no to an opportunity, he packed a bag and headed to campus for a week-long intensive summer bridge program. 

“The Men of Excellence Summer Academy was an amazing way to begin my time at SUNY Broome. It was definitely intense. We spent the week in back-to-back workshops with campus leaders and members of the community, but every session was super interesting! We got to learn from local entrepreneurs, politicians, and then from men on campus like Josh A. Frederick, Jay Harrison, and President Hawkins,” Castro beamed. “MoE gave me my first connections and group of friends on campus.” 

One such ‘first SUNY Broome friend’ turned out to be the College’s President, Dr. Tony D. Hawkins. Impressed by Castro’s joie de vivre for SUNY Broome and beyond, President Hawkins invited Castro and some classmates to be his special guests at the LUMA Projection Arts Festival’s kickoff event, hosted at the College’s Culinary & Event Center. In his natural element, he mingled throughout the room, proudly introducing himself as a member of the SUNY Broome student community. 

Castro balances working through the business administration curriculum with managing the operations of the Student Assembly, as the shared governance body’s Chief of Staff. From there, he’s in a constant rotation of Toastmasters International meetings, Business Club fundraisers, Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC) gatherings, and Men of Excellence workshops. After ‘taking things on slowly’ in the fall semester, Castro entered the spring semester with bigger goals and action plans. 

“I’d love to be elected to serve as a Community College Representative for SUNY’s system-wide Student Assembly,” Castro listed. “I am also working to create a debate team, and I’m planning to run on the track team. I’m living on campus this semester, so I’ll have more time to get even more involved.”

Bryson’s Advice for Future Broome Students: “Don’t be afraid to take the first step of coming to SUNY Broome. I promise it’s not as scary as you think. Grab lunch in the dining hall, go to a game to cheer for the student athletes, join a club, email your professor with questions or just to check in. All these small steps seem scary at first, and then you realize they’re all just part of the college experience.”

SUNY Broome’s Men of Excellence program will host a special vendor fair on April 10, 2026, to precede Binghamton University’s Men of Color Summit.
Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

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