By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart
SUNY Broome’s STEM division spent Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, welcoming over 30 regional school counselors for a day of information and collaboration centered around the abundant academic and professional opportunities for STEM students in the community.
Dean of STEM Christine Martey-Ochola and her team opted to focus their second annual school counselor event around three academic programs – Liberal Arts and Sciences: Science: A.S. (Pharmacy Pathway), Food Science: A.A.S., and Environmental Science: A.S.
In addition to specialized breakout sessions and tours highlighting the featured STEM programs, school counselors were provided with a comprehensive overview of the over 20 STEM Fast Forward classes that students can complete for free in their respective high schools. Brittney Richardson, Enrollment Management Coordinator, explained the importance of course selection for STEM students.
“If students take the right courses strategically and sequentially, STEM Fast Forward students can earn an entire semester’s worth of credits toward their degrees before officially attending SUNY Broome as a matriculated student,” Richardson said.
The school counselors agreed that the high point of the event was hearing student testimonials from current Environmental Science: A.S. student Megan Carden and SUNY Broome Liberal Arts and Sciences: Science: A.S. (Pharmacy Pathway) alum and adjunct faculty member, Dr. Keith Hughes.
Carden, a three-sport athlete, shared why SUNY Broome was the best choice for her academically, financially, and extracurricularly. Initially an undecided student, a biology class exposed Megan to the world of Environmental Science: A.S.. Megan’s presentation was filled with photos captured during her hands-on learning experiences via the program’s seven-week field study course format. The group was most excited to hear about her recent paid summer internship in a research lab through Colombia University.
Dr. Hughes chronicled his journey from a quiet Windsor High School student, to his transformational experience within STEM at SUNY Broome, to life as an Ivy League transfer student at Cornell University, and then back to his roots in the Southern Tier through Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The event concluded with a STEM tabling expo in the Applied Technology Atrium. Counselors met with faculty from each academic department within the STEM division and representatives from several local employers.
Dean Martey-Ochola believes that events for school counselors will continue to foster collaboration between regional school counselors, SUNY Broome faculty, and industry partners to attract and retain STEM talent within the Southern Tier.
If you would like to learn more about STEM at SUNY Broome, don’t hesitate to contact SUNY Broome’s Admissions Office at 607-778-5001 or admissions@sunybroome.edu.
