After moving from Trinidad to America to attend college and swim competitively, Delroy Tyrrell was forced to change lanes when the school he was attending closed. Searching for his next move, a friend and fellow swimmer encouraged him to check out SUNY Oneonta. Drawn to the welcoming campus, inspiring swim coach and unbeatable value, Delroy dove right in to a new chapter at Oneonta, forming new friendships, breaking athletic records and preparing for a career in Sport Management.
Why Oneonta?
I came to the United States from Trinidad to attend The College of Saint Rose in Albany. When Saint Rose closed in 2024, I got offers from schools in other states, but a friend of mine who swam at Oneonta remembered me from a meet, called me and said I should come to Oneonta and swim. I had some other Saint Rose friends visiting Oneonta, so I tagged along and met swim coach Chris Schuler and loved her. I also loved campus and how very safe and beautiful it was, just to walk around, which I love. Then I looked at the tuition and saw that the price was so much cheaper than my other options, so I decided to transfer here, and it was the best decision for me.
Best Experiences
Breaking pool records at our school and others during swim meets like the Cortland Snow Flurries Invite in December, hearing my teammates cheer for me, earning SUNYAC Men’s Swimmer of the Week twice this season. All of that was made even better by the fact that I get to experience it with my teammates. I can’t imagine a better group of friends than I have right now.
Being an international student, there are certain challenges, like not having a car and the differences in currency. But I've had a lot of support here, and the Office of Global Education has been so helpful. Denise Leinonen in particular, I love her! One day I expressed frustration with being able to get transportation to buy groceries, and the next day I got a bunch of texts from the peer mentors offering to go shopping with me.
About My Major
I originally wanted to study Biology but decided the typical 9-to-5 job wasn’t for me. So I did some research and decided hey, I like sports and I like business, why don’t I try Sport Management? There’s so much you can do with this degree, a lot of open doors.
My Activities
Swimming takes up most of my time. If I’m not in class, I’m in the pool training or in the gym. I started swimming growing up, first in Guyana and then after moving to Trinidad. I am a professional swimmer and Junior Sports Ambassador to Guyana, and I competed in the Pan American Age Group games in 2022.
Favorite Classes?
Public Speaking with Kathleen Dwyer. It didn’t feel like a typical classroom; it felt like we were in an open panel discussion. I enjoyed being in class with other majors, like political science, and learning from them. I also loved a Sports Management class I took with Matt Hazzard. He has great relationships with his students, and everyone loves him. We’re able to talk about things I’m interested in: sports, scores, the latest football team, all of that.
Plans, Goals, Dreams
Well, I want to make it the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. But swimming won’t be forever. I actually am fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, so I think I want to start a sports agency, and possibly tie in some kind of language tutoring.