Gregory Wynter
Gregory Wynter

Attention, SUNY Broome students: If you’re not using Starfish, Gregory Wynter has a message for you.

An Individual Studies major with a concentration in psychology, Gregory has some serious Hornet cred; he will neither confirm nor deny that he occasionally wears the Stinger costume. He paid attention during Orientation and classroom presentations on Starfish, and decided to explore it for himself.

Sign up for new student Orientation, or explore our Online Orientation.

“I definitely feel like a lot of people know about Starfish, but not so many are using it. It’s an excellent way to get in contact with your professors,” he said. “You have your own page, and on that page you have all the people you’re affiliated with – your advisor, your professors, the people in the (Applied Learning and) Career Center.”

Starfish makes it super-easy for you to set up appointments, explore academic resources and contact faculty and staff members, all in one convenient location, he explained. It has other features, too: Professors can contact you if they see you struggling and connect you to needed resources, or send a kudos when you’re doing well – a definite confidence booster.

Gregory uses Starfish most often for the ease of communication; email is often the best way to reach professors, he pointed out.

“I feel like Starfish is like a spiderweb,” he said. “Everyone is connected to it.”

Making connections

Gregory has his own deep connections to SUNY Broome. A graduate of Greene High School, he made his first connection with music instructor Karen Clark, who he knew from school. He appreciates all his music instructors at SUNY Broome, including Mrs. Clark, Jennifer Easley and Peter Sicilian. 

Learn about SUNY Broome’s Music Program.

Another shining star for Gregory: English instructor Elizabeth Rivera.  “She was insane in an awesome way – a great person and a great professor. She tries to make the classes interesting,” he reflected. “I’m glad to say I haven’t had any boring classes so far.”

Outside of the classroom, Gregory has served as a student ambassador, and also works for Public Safety and Student Activities. He has found many staff members on campus to be caring and helpful, from Beth Cragle in Public Safety and Brittney Richardson in Admissions, to residence director Alex Donkor in the Student Village, Dean of Students Scott Schuhert and Sandra Stephens in Student Activities.

For now, the award for Best Boss goes to Student Activities Director Jason Boring. “He’s so much fun. He rewards hard work and he’s pretty understanding,” Gregory said. “I appreciate what he’s done for me in the past.”

Learn about Individual Studies at SUNY Broome.

SUNY Broome and beyond

Gregory chose SUNY Broome for a number of reasons: its proximity to home, its affordability and the ease of transferring to nearby Binghamton University.

“I didn’t want huge student loans. Plus, it’s a small environment, which gives me one-on-one time with professors if I need it,” he said.

His long-term goal – after transferring to BU – is to become a counseling psychologist or therapist, perhaps working with the college-age population. To further that goal, he plans to apply to UHS for a job as a mental health assistant.

“I feel like I’m pretty good at talking to people. It’s a way to help people, and helping people is what I always wanted to do. Counseling psychology is one way to do that,” he said.

SUNY Broome has given Gregory – poised to start his second year on campus in Fall 2019 – a solid start to his future, he said, and he’s glad he stayed local.

“It’s the perfect location and the perfect environment, and lots of credits transfer,” he reflected. “Broome was a really good next step after high school.”

Students, if you want to connect with faculty staff, log into Starfish today to set up your profile! Need help? Visit www.sunybroome.edu/starfish for more information, including tutorials, a getting-started guide and more!

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