SUNY Oswego was among the State University of New York institutions to join the first-ever Empire State Service Corps supported by paid public service opportunities, announced in September by Governor Kathy Hochul.

Oswego’s 13 participating students are among more than 500 across the system taking part in this initiative. The university’s EXCEL (Experiential Courses and Engaged Learning) office administers the program as part of SUNY Oswego’s larger mission to prepare students for success while contributing to the public good.

Students receive paid placements in high-need areas such as K-12 tutoring, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and basic needs outreach, peer mental health, sustainability, anti-hate and anti-bias prevention, nonpartisan civic engagement and Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion.

Oswego students quickly found ways to make meaningful contributions and connections through the program. Izzy Ronacher, a sophomore childhood education major with a physics concentration from Astoria, Queens, passionately worked on a food drive for the Students Helping Oz Peers (SHOP) pantry preparing Thanksgiving meals and baskets for those in need through a donation drive running Nov. 4 to 18.

“I was interested in participating in the Empire State Service Corps because I am very passionate about community outreach,” Ronacher said. “Transferring to Oswego, I knew I wanted to be a part of the community here and participate in something that was bigger than myself and would positively impact our school community.” 

Administered by the Dean of Students Office, SHOP “is a free food, clothing and toiletries pantry available to all students, staff and faculty,” in the basement of Penfield Library, Ronacher noted, adding that the focus has included coordinating supply and publicizing the pantry’s offerings. 

“Through this program, I am learning how to coordinate events on a larger scale,” Ronacher said. “I am learning how to set meetings and create a game plan for each project. I am learning how to grow as a leader and work as a team with all of the other amazing staff and volunteers who are a part of the SHOP. It is truly an amazing experience which is able to show me how much impact helping and supporting others can bond a large community together.”

Malik Hills joins Ronacher on the SNAP/basic needs team that helps with SHOP efforts and hosts drop-in hours to help eligible students apply for SNAP benefits in the Educational Opportunity Program’s offices in Penfield Library. 

For Hills, a junior criminal justice major from Brooklyn, it’s a perfect fit. Mills’ mother regularly cooks a large quantity of food to deliver to a homeless shelter and psychiatric facility in their neighborhood.

“When I was home, I went with her and saw how happy the people were,” Hills recalled. “So when I saw this opportunity on Handshake, and then learned more about it, I realized ‘this is something I enjoy doing.’”

The SNAP application can look a bit intimidating, but Hills and Ronacher make it easy for students, especially with a need among off-campus students, to get the benefit of nutritious food options. “It helps them a lot, and I’m happy to be giving back.”

In addition to making a difference while working in a paid position, Hills said the role supports experience in other ways, including social skills. “You’re working with a lot of people and explaining different things to them,” Hills said. “You learn about communication.”

Supporting sustainability

Britney Person, a junior cognitive science major from Washington, D.C., works with the Office of Sustainability. Person applied after a positive experience with Jennifer Joyce of EXCEL, who coordinates the Empire State Service Corps, in the university’s Focus Forward scholastic mentoring program. With the sustainability team, Person has worked on education on the phased elimination of single-use plastics and efforts to support pollinators under its Bee Campus USA program.

“Members of my team have made graphic designs, content for our webpage, planted Alvar beds and are working on a documentary,” Person said. “Personally, I choose to incentivize sustainable behaviors on and off campus. As of right now, I am trying to implement a program that encourages clubs and organizations to be more sustainable by introducing a sustainability score for prioritization of their budgets.”

The service learning opportunity has provided opportunities to support a worthy cause as well as learn a lot about sustainability, Person added.

“The Rice Creek Field Station did a native tree giveaway,” Person explained. “There I got to bare root trees and learn more about the community I’m in. Another fine example of what else I can get from the program is when tapping season arrives, I’ll be able to go out and tap the maple trees and assist in making maple syrup, which is something I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do.” 

Daniel Ressue, a senior adolescence education major with an English concentration from Little Falls, also worked with Joyce on Focus Forward and “when I received an email from Jenn talking about a new program offering paid and volunteer community service hours, I was immediately in,” Ressue recalled. Ressue is also a member of the sustainability cohort.

“We've been doing a mixture of pop-up events and more research-based individual work,” Ressue said. “I've gotten to work heavily with the Sustainability Office to process and save seeds, process and give away tree saplings, establish pollinator beds and help lead service projects like tree maintenance in our school's Arboretum.”

The Empire State Service Corps has provided opportunities for creativity and personal growth as well.

“I have loved learning more about making my way through personal projects that are very creativity-oriented,” Ressue said. “It's a style I haven't worked with before, with an office full of people that are new to me this semester. However, it has been so fulfilling to learn more about being a professional and to rise to meet those demands and needs!”

Opportunities to serve

Junior public relations major Jasmine Storer from Port Jervis has worked on the university’s Vote Oswego non-partisan voter registration and engagement campaign, led by faculty member Allison Rank of the Politics Department. 

“My initial interest in the Empire State Service Corps was the opportunity to work with other non-profits in the community,” Storer said. “Working with a non-profit is my career goal, so this was a perfect fit for me.”

Vote Oswego was an immediate interest when Storer applied, and the work has been rewarding.

“We get to educate students on registering to vote, how to mail your ballot, why it's important,” Storer said. “I have been learning to enhance my project management skills by leading an event on campus. I mentioned I would like to do more of this, and Dr. Rank has been amazing in teaching me and giving me this opportunity.”

“The mission of the Empire State Service Corps interests me the most,” said Victor Altamirano Ramos, a freshman from Brooklyn in SUNY Oswego’s accounting/master of business administration five-year program. “Giving back to the community is something I aim to do, whether I am home or in a different town, and the Empire State Service Corps is allowing me to achieve this.”

Ramos is among those working with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) support team, helping guide students and families through the process of paying for college.

“We help students complete their FAFSA free of charge and work on other projects at the Financial Aid Office,” Ramos said. “I am learning more about the process of how the Financial Aid Office operates.”

About Empire State Service Corps

The Empire State Service Corps was launched as part of Governor Hochul and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.’s commitment to increasing service opportunities for students across the state. In addition to the Empire State Service Corps, the university system has launched additional programming for civic education, civil discourse and civic awareness across campuses. Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado also has been active in this effort.

“Working in state government as a young person was a formative experience that catalyzed my interest in public service and serving the people of New York,” Governor Hochul said. “By expanding our initiatives to get more young people involved with the Empire Service Corps, we made a forward commitment to their well-being and to the betterment of our State as a whole. I’m proud to welcome the inaugural class of the Empire State Service Corps, including 515 students from New York State’s very own SUNY schools. Congratulations and thank you for your public service.”

“Civics and service are integral to the mission of public higher education and to the work of SUNY,” Chancellor King said. “SUNY is proud of the students selected for the first-ever Empire State Service Corps who will be answering the call to service and bettering their communities. I am especially grateful for Governor Hochul, Lieutenant Governor Delgado, and the Legislature’s leadership in creating a service program that will both expand opportunities for hands-on experiences while also meeting the needs of New Yorkers across the State.”

The program received $2.75 million of state funding to connect participating SUNY students with impactful public service opportunities for over 300 paid public service hours over the course of a year. 

In addition, the Empire State Service Corps received $2.5 million as an AmeriCorps program by the New York State Commission on National and Community Service. These federal funds will support the administration of specific service projects, and at the end of the AmeriCorps service term, eligible students will receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which may be used to repay qualified loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.

For more information on service learning opportunities through EXCEL, visit ww1.oswego.edu/excel/service-learning.