I’ve known what I wanted to do while I was at college for some time. My dream job is to be a sports broadcaster. Announcing baseball games is something that I’ve been practicing since I was a young kid. I would be playing “MLB: The Show”, turn the television volume to mute and then announce the game I was playing. So when the time came to apply to college, I chose a bunch of schools that had a broadcast/communications major. I applied to Syracuse, Ithaca, Marist, and Quinnipiac, among others. SUNY Oswego was a school that I wasn't looking all that closely into when going through the college process. It was small, I didn't know much about it, and being a typical senior in high school, I thought I was “too good” for a SUNY school.

It turns out that I picked the perfect school for me. The first few weeks being away from home was a tough transition, something that every freshman in college experiences to some extent. I was second guessing myself for most of the fall semester because the beginning was pretty difficult. But now that I’m almost done with my first full year at Oswego State, I couldn't think about attending any other university. I’ve already made so many friends that I know will stick beyond the four or five years that I’m here. I go to class knowing there will be a familiar face with me; I’m never alone. I’ve made some great relationships with my professors. One of the perks of attending a smaller sized school is that the professors care enough to learn your name and want to get to know you on a personal level as well as grabbing a cup of coffee with you after class.

Let’s not forget the amazing opportunities that SUNY Oswego has offered me when it comes to reaching my dream. The school has both television and radio stations for students to broadcast their own topics of interest. I’ve had the privilege to have my own radio show with some of my friends talking sports. Debating with your friends while you're hanging out is one thing, but broadcasting on the radio and giving your opinion to the listeners of the show is such an incredible feeling. The practice and hands on experience that I’ve already come across are more than I could have imagined. My father had a radio show in college, so it’s pretty neat that in 2016, he and my mom can listen to my show using the Tune In radio app on their phone.

No small factor in my decision was that SUNY Oswego offers a 5 year MBA program for those majoring in Broadcasting and Mass Communication, which is a great opportunity to receive my masters in a short time. Also, we can’t forget that this is a SUNY school, so the price is right.

We get snow, like a lot of snow. But on the other hand, we get some beautiful weather with some amazing sunsets. Living right on Lake Ontario is another benefit that we have in Oswego. Going down to the lake to swim or even just getting a group of people together for a fire to hang out by the water is awesome, it’s a great alternative to just sitting in the dorms.

Oswego State is a probably not a great fit for everyone, but I know that it is a great fit for me. As my first year ends, with wonderful memories and experiences, I cannot wait for the years and the good times ahead.