Texas to Oz
Susan Velazquez ’16
Creative Writing, Gender and Women’s Study Minor
Hometown: Carrollton, Texas
Role: Student Programs Beneficiary, OSWEGO Alumni Magazine/OAA Intern
Fueling the flame: Unrestricted Gifts, The Fund for Oswego
“I came from Texas to Oswego because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, gain independence and yes, finally see real snow. But Oswego has offered me so much more than cold weather and excellent classes. SUNY Oswego has been the best college experience I could have asked for!”
As Susan Velazquez ’16 prepared to deliver the opening line of one of history’s most famous speeches to a packed Hewitt Ballroom, her heart pounded.
“We are gathered here today for what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.”
As a selected speaker for SUNY Oswego’s 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Velazquez read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech—just moments before King’s daughter, keynote speaker Dr. Bernice A. King, took the stage.
“After King concluded her speech, the audience gave her a standing ovation,” Velazquez, a creative writing major, said following her experience at the January 2016 event. “My heart pounded again, but this time, it wasn’t because I was nervous. It was because I was inspired to make a change that would make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proud.”
This experience—and so many more—marked the college career of the Carrolton, Texas, native.
“I came from Texas to SUNY Oswego because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, gain independence, and yes, finally see real snow,” Velazquez said. “But Oswego has offered me so much more than cold weather and excellent classes: I have made wonderful friends, been an active member in the Latino Student Union, and found work experience as a desk attendant in the residence halls and an intern at the alumni magazine.”
Velazquez’s love of writing was captured in the first-person accounts and articles she prepared for the monthly Lake E-ffect alumni e-newsletters and the Parents e-newsletters, supported by The Fund for Oswego. Her career goal is to work in the publishing industry.
“SUNY Oswego has been the best college experience I could have asked for,” Velazquez said.