Where are you from?
Cobleskill, New York

What is your major/minor?
Majors: Political Science and Policy Studies; Minor: Mathematics and Middle Eastern Studies

What do you aspire to do after graduation?
Law School for either International Law or International Business Law, followed by a campaign for the New York State Senate, then United Sates Senate then I could follow two divergent paths that eventually meet up again. One path is to run for the Governorship of New York State and the other is to stay in the senate a bit longer, but they both eventually lead to a likely campaign for the President of the United States of America. If elected, the period after the presidency is a foggy road, but I would really love nothing more than to get a nice cushy seat on the United States Supreme Court (much like the career path of President Taft after his election).

What notable opportunities have you participated in at SU?
Syracuse has a vast number of opportunities that any student can take advantage of on and off campus. Some of the best opportunities have come through the over 100 student groups and organizations on campus. I am a student senator in the University Senate, a Representative for the Student Association, in College Democrats, and my most time consuming commitment is NYPIRG, New York Public Interest Research Group.

However the opportunities do not stop at organizations and clubs. Some of the best opportunities are the guest speakers that come to the campus. Some of the better and known speakers have been, Former Vice President Al Gove, Jane Goodall, Wendy Kopp, Elizabeth Kolbert, Khaled El Fadl, Stanley Johnson, Thomas Risse, Bill Cosby, and this fall 2007, we will have Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. 

What inspired you to attend Syracuse University?
For my likes and interests, the Maxwell school is the ultimate experience. As a connoisseur of politics and government, the Maxwell School of Citizenship is a world renowned institution that is primarily a graduate school, but is also the home of many undergraduate programs at Syracuse University such as Policy Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, and many others. Being that the Maxwell school is the number one rated graduate institution for Public Administration, MPA, in the nation. The top-notch faculty and graduate students are always available to both other graduate students and undergrads. With this incomparable asset, it is not difficult to see why Syracuse is a world-class institution, or why a student like me would want to attend.

How has the Coronat Scholarship affected your college experience?
Beyond the obvious benefits of a full academic scholarship, the Coronat Scholarship an experience that is unrivaled among most if not all institutions. The students who have been awarded the scholarship receive preferential treatment that is not touted or talked about, but does exist. Merely saying that you are a Coronat gives you extended assistance or treatment. Faculty will often offer more aid and will ask you to meet with them just to talk.

Although it will not get you higher grades on assignments, the perks that come with are great like private meetings with guests and trips to Minnowbrook in the Adirondacks or NYC or DC. Although it may seem like you could use this to your advantage, I would caution future Coronats from telling too many people or telling those people outside of those who you absolutely want to know, just because there is a stigma for people who are paying nothing for college among those who are paying $20,000 or more. 

Do you have plans to maximize the opportunities presented by the Coronat scholarship?
Maximizing the opportunities seems easier than it really is. I have strived to maximize the opportunities by making key friendships with a number of faculty members and I am now a TA for one of them. I also plan on going abroad within the next year, of which most of the costs are covered by the scholarship depending on the location. Over the summer I will be going on a trip across nine European countries studying the effects of globalization on the changing, economic, social, and political climates. In the fall of 2008 I think that I am going to be doing a program through the International Relations Department in Washington, D.C. All this time I will be closely mentored by Professor Dr. William Coplin, one of the faculty members I have come to work closely with and TA for, in order to apply to receive the Truman Scholarship through the US Government. 

What has been your favorite academic experience at SU?
My favorite academic experience here at SU would have to be being a Teaching Assistant for Professor Coplin’s PAF 101 class. It is really fun and you get to work along side other dedicated students to pretty much run the course with Professor Coplin. The entire behind the scenes stuff, including grading, is done by the TAs with guidance and help provided by Professor Coplin. There truly is never a dull moment in the class and it really feeling like you are doing something to affect the academic experience of the students who you are a TA for.

What has been your favorite non-academic experience at SU?
My favorite non-academic experience is working for NYPIRG, the New York Public Interest Research Group, which is a student run lobby group working out of 21 offices across the state with central offices in NYC and the legislative office in Albany. This past fall, I was elected by Syracuse and ESF students to the Board of Directors, which is the second highest student position in the organization. We decide all of the legislation that is going to be lobbied for and all of the projects that our chapters are going to work on in the coming year. We also run the organization much like the board of any company. I am also the Project leader for the Good Government project at SU which means that I plan, organize and run all of the government reform measures at the Syracuse chapter.