Student Leaders of the Year share their stories

This year's Student Leaders of the Year are united by similar beginnings of coming a long way, in addition to their noteworthy accomplishments. 

Kaedyn McClain and Meet Patel were named the Student Leaders of the Year at this year's Student Leadership Ceremony. McClain, a senior majoring in human resource management and minoring in psychology, hails from Fort Worth, Texas. Patel, a senior with a double major in business administration and in information science, was born and raised in India.

Held each spring and organized by the Student Engagement and Leadership (SEL) Office and the Office of the Provost, the Student Leadership Ceremony recognizes leaders for their outstanding service and commitment to the campus and Oswego community. 

McClain was drawn to Oswego by its ability to bring its students together. “I don't think I would have been nearly as involved if I hadn't come up here," McClain said, adding that meeting the same people over and over in the course of invovement led to close friendships.

McClain has led a wide variety of student organizations. She is the current president of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Vega Junior and Senior Honor Society, the vice president of Women in Business and treasurer of the American Marketing Association. 

That kind of resume reflects the hard work and dedication that earned McClain the award. “It was sort of a full-circle moment for me,” McClain said. “It was seeing all the work I’d put in over the last year that I thought was going to be thankless that paid off. Being recognized for it meant a lot to me.”

Patel has also worked hard, leading the TEDxSUNY Oswego event, working in the Admissions Office and serving in groups like the Asian Student Association . Earning this award was extremely important for Patel, who was nominated last year but did not win.

“This award has definitely helped me out through my personal and professional growth,” Patel said. “SUNY Oswego has given me an appreciation for what I do on campus by giving me this award.”

When looking at universities, SUNY Oswego stood out to Patel for the incredible experiences it offers. 

“There are a lot of hands-on experiences available compared to other schools,” Patel explained. “SUNY Oswego gave me a lot of opportunities, and at the same time, they’ve helped me out and provided me with what I needed, whether they had it or not.”

With SUNY Oswego’s College of Business and Entrepreneurship’s tight-knit nature, McClain was able to learn about intricate networking. Two of her professors, Barry Friedman and Steven Abraham, double as SHRM advisors.

“Everything I do is encouraged by them,” McClain said. “They believe in a lot of the things I do. I’ve sort of gained deeper connections with them because I have so many connections.” 

Connected leaders

McClain and Patel share a deep appreciation for each other because of their experiences as out-of-state and international students, respectively. Patel and McClain met each other through their “Human Resource Management” class during their sophomore year. 

 “She's an amazing personality,” Patel said. “The way she works, she's definitely a perfectly deserving candidate for this award. And I'm so happy and proud that she got this award. I'm so happy that she got this award alongside me, and I'm glad that I met her. Her experience and background are extremely phenomenal.” 

“It's always nice to see him thriving because he is someone that I've known for a while, and he's also far from here,” said McClain.

Other honorees during the ceremony included:

The ceremony also recognized students who graduated from SEL's Leadership Development Program, presented certificates of recognition to academic clubs from the Office of the Provost and honored the Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence winners. 

–- Written by Nina Ottesen of the Class of 2026