SUNY Oneonta

Growing up, Fatoumata Ouattara loved sports but didn’t realize that she could make a career out of them. Majoring in Sport Management and Communication at Oneonta, she learned the ins and outs of the industry and gained leadership and event-planning skills with her sorority, club rugby team, and as an RA. As Associate Director of Program, School & Community for Special Olympics New York, she is now sharing her passion and encouraging others to do the same.

Juan Cirilo, a Computer Science major, threw himself into new experiences at SUNY Oneonta, ranging from joining the Mountain Biking Club to landing a part in “Evil Dead: The Musical.”

It only took one visit for Biology major Courtney Evans to realize SUNY Oneonta was the place for her.

After transferring to SUNY Oneonta junior year, Graham Wooden changed his major from Biology to Exercise Science to prepare for a career in physical therapy.

With a passion for fitness and working with people, Sarah Faulisi transferred to SUNY Oneonta to study Exercise Science and Sport Management.

Influenced by his teachers in middle school, Jadyn Trujillo came to SUNY Oneonta to study elementary education and become a teacher and positive role model for children during their formative years.

Location, cost and friendship brought longtime sports lover Gianni Johnson to SUNY Oneonta, where he started a side hustle cutting hair and quickly discovered that he could combine his entrepreneurial nature with his passion for athletics by majoring in Sport Management.

Growing up in Japan, music lover Mimi Oda would listen as her mom watched American television, dreaming of someday living and working in New York City. As a Music Industry major at SUNY Oneonta with two internships under her belt, a rock band of her own, and time logged in the studio and onstage, Mimi is closer than ever to achieving her dream.

From the time senior Vito Giambanco was little, helping out at his family’s pizzeria on Long Island, he has been fascinated with businesses, how they work and how they thrive. As a Business Economics major at SUNY Oneonta, Vito’s passion for business has only grown, because he now knows why things work the way they do.

Hadley Chan has always loved astronomy. In their childhood bedroom, they had a big poster showing the moon landing, and their bookshelves were filled with encyclopedias about space. Studying physics and observational astronomy at SUNY Oneonta a decade later, Hadley is shooting for the stars.

Studying Fashion at SUNY Oneonta and FIT, Cassidy Napolitano realized her passion for sustainability. The classes she took, clubs she was involved in, and internships she completed helped her personalize her degree path, allowing her to incorporate her two passions: fashion and sustainability. Now, she’s ready to find a career that will allow her to do the same thing.

One of the biggest lessons senior Luke Mock has learned in college is that being successful in the music industry is all about who you know and how those people know you. SUNY Oneonta has been the perfect fit for him because of the connections he’s been able to make.