Testimonials

“I decided to remain in the Capital Region after graduation because it’s really a great area…all the benefits of a large city without any of the downfalls. It’s inexpensive, close to the Adirondacks, has tons of great restaurants, and lots of nightlife.”

“I enjoy going to college in the Capital Region because I have grown up in this area and the majority of my family and friends are here. Outside activities that I enjoy are visiting the many regional parks such as Saratoga State Park and Thatcher Park. I also try to ski when I have the time. My favorite places to visit are New York City, Boston and Saratoga which are all at a reasonably close driving distance.”

Mary Dalton, B.S. ‘05, Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

“The Capital Region is a great place to go to school because it’s in the Northeast and you only have to drive a few hours to reach the most exciting cities in the country – New York, Boston, Philadelphia. Albany is a fun city and is only 15 minutes away from RPI. It has countless great restaurants and shopping. The Pepsi Arena always has popular artists coming through. Washington Park is filled with beautiful gardens to walk through in the spring and summertime. The Adirondack Mountains are close for skiing and snowboarding. I love to take day trips to Saratoga to see the races and walk around the town. In the fall, nobody can beat the gorgeous foliage of upstate New York and Vermont. Mount Greylock Summit is a nice place to hike in Massachusetts and that’s only a 45-minute ride. Grafton Park is very close to RPI – I never forget going there to watch a meteor shower my freshman year. Thatcher State Park has a couple of waterfalls on its hiking trails from which you can see for miles and miles. I’ve done so much the past three years and I’m still learning all the region offers even in my senior year. It is really a great place to go to school.”

“Because of Siena and other nearby colleges, the Capital Region is an exciting place for students. There's always something to do, both on and off campus. Movies, events, Siena Saints basketball at the Pepsi Arena, all the shops and restaurants... Albany is a great college town!”

“Living in the Capital Region allows for a variety of outside activities. There are several parks, Thatcher Park being my favorite, and many theatre performances to attend downtown. Albany is only 30 minutes from Saratoga, a great day trip and home to SPAC, and also only an hour from Lake George. Crossgates mall has a great variety of shops and a cinema with stadium seating. Alive at Five concert series during the summer is a fun tradition and a good way to meet new people, and the Christmas display in Washington Park helps you get into the holiday season. A UAlbany I.D. allows me to ride the CDTA buses for free to anywhere in the city, so it’s easy to find transport to these places, to work, and to social events. Finally, for me, a big advantage of living in and attending school at UAlbany is that it’s close to home. My major commitment behind school and work is the community theatre Hudson River Shakespeare Company. It’s only a 45-minute drive to rehearsals, so I can participate in plays when I have the time.”

"I am a graduate of the Union College Accelerated 7-year medical education program, one of three combined degree programs offered at the Albany Medical College. After receiving my medical degree from the Albany Medical College, I went on to complete residencies in general surgery and in otolaryngology at the Albany Medical Center. With access to over 900 physicians including more than 350 full-time clinical faculty, Albany Medical Center's residency program provides services in an extensive range of specialties and subspecialties.

After going on to complete a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Children's Hospital in Seattle, I realized that the Capital Region is capable of providing a breadth of knowledge in my field of otolaryngology without the competitiveness one might find in a larger city. The variety and complexity of the cases at the Albany Medical Center provides rich learning opportunities in an intimate and collegial atmosphere. These opportunities, coupled with the outstanding educational programs in this area and access to groundbreaking research opportunities in our own backyard, solidified my decision to return to the Capital District, where I now work as clinical assistant professor in the department of surgery at Albany Med and chief pediatric otolaryngologist at University Ear Nose and Throat of Northeastern New York."

Ryan England, Master of Arts in Teaching Program ‘07, Empire State College

“I came to Empire State College looking for a pragmatic and quality program that fit the needs of a working professional. The M.A.T. program provides the flexibility that is essential as well as a nourishing curriculum that surpasses my expectations. I’m on my way to becoming an instrumental part of adolescents’ lives just as Empire State College has become an instrumental part of my development.”

Richard A. Knaupp, B.S. ’00, Business, Management and Economics, Empire State College

“The week after graduation, I obtained the exact position I had focused on during my tenure at Empire State College. I love my job now; I haven’t been able to feel this way in a long time. My journey at Empire State College gave me the confidence and motivation I needed to change my career.”

Sherry Mossotti, B.S. '98, Business, Management and Economics, FORUM Business Management Program, Empire State College

“Returning to college after 30 years was not an easy decision for an already busy executive, wife and mother of two young sons. It was important to me that I select a well-respected accredited college that also afforded me the opportunity to maintain an already busy schedule.”

“I worked as a finance and accounting intern at General Electric Corporate Benefits Delivery in Schenectady during the year I was getting my masters. Not having any full-time work experience at graduation because I was enrolled in a 5-year BA/MBA program, I found my internship at GE provided me with relevant experience in finance and accounting that gave me an advantage in my job search in the Capital Region. I would not otherwise have had this background as a new graduate.”

Earther Quinones, A.S. ’05, Environmental Studies, Hudson Valley Community College

“I was connected to the Rensselaer County Department of Health through the college’s Center for Counseling and Transfer. I was able to shadow Denise Ayers, the county public health director, and observe the various divisions of environmental services offered through the county, which include the inspection of restaurants, camps, hotels and public water supplies.

I am presently employed at Hudson Valley, working with Patricia Watt, the coordinator of environmental health and safety. As part of my assignment, I routinely inspect hazardous and universal waste storage areas around campus, checking to see that they are properly contained to comply with EPA standards.

The mentorship program is the first phase to see the ins and outs of my field of interest. It also provides my employers with the opportunity to observe my skills and the enthusiasm I portray in my daily working environment.”

Dakota Alvarez, M.S. ’03, Guidance and Counseling, The Sage Graduate School

Candidate for Advanced Certificate; B.S. ’99, Criminal Justice, Empire State College

“I saw early retirement not as the end of one career but as the beginning of another. Sage helped me make that transition. I have a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and my first career was in law enforcement, working for agencies such as the NYPD and NYS Corrections. Now my master’s degree from Sage Graduate School will kick off my second career: as an inner-city high school guidance counselor.

The most valuable part of my education at Sage has been my year-long internship at Troy Alternate Learning Center, working with inner-city students in grades 7-12 who are unable to succeed in traditional learning environments. I have counseled students, individually and in groups, had a lot of contact with the parents as well as the kids, and often worked hand-in-hand with the principal. My background in law enforcement gives me insight into the pressures that push troubled youth toward the wrong side of the law. Now, with the abilities and skills I’ve developed at Sage, I can guide at-risk students through the education system and counsel them on ways to overcome their disadvantages to succeed both in school and in life. I have enjoyed Sage Graduate School tremendously. I’d like to return here as a teacher someday.”

Dale Webster, M.S. ’02, Adult Nurse Practitioner, The Sage Graduate School

B.S. Biology, Siena College; Associate degree, Nursing, Albany Memorial Hospital

“I've been a nurse for years, working at Albany Medical Center in medical cardiology, when I enrolled at Sage Graduate School and embarked on my master's degree in nursing. Scholarships and tuition assistance through the Sage Health Systems Alliance made Sage affordable and continuing my education in nursing in the Capital Region enabled me to become more autonomous, use advanced practice skills, and earn a higher salary.

The key thing while working is to get a program that can match up with your schedule. Sage Graduate School had very easy scheduling, offering different class times and summer courses you could complete in six weeks. Choosing to become a nurse practitioner instead of going to medical school enabled me to accomplish many of the same things, while still having a life and avoiding much of the debt. I've ended up where I wanted to be, providing advanced care, faster and with a better quality of life!”

“My internship with General Electric in Schenectady introduced me to GE's Corporate Information Management Leadership Program. This exposure helped me gain acceptance into the prestigious program, and my experience there helped me land a job with GE after graduating from Siena College.

The internship enabled me to apply the technical skills I developed as a Computer Science and Mathematics major to real business cases. I was also given the opportunity to work with several teams on projects intended to broaden my leadership and project management skills. The professional relationships I developed during my internship and co-op with subject matter experts, experienced managers, and program members and alumni have been invaluable in my early career.”

“I knew, after graduating from Union, that this region was a great place to start a business and raise a family. I'm glad I did - the quality of life here, combined with the professional opportunities have been even more substantial than I expected.”

(B.S. Music and Biology - Union College; M.B.A. Health Care Administration -
Graduate College of Union Univ.; M.D. - Albany Medical College)

“The Capital Region and the Tech Valley initiative afford students unparalleled opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research, internships and provide incredible career options, and I look forward to staying in the region and exploring all it has to offer.

I have founded Exousia Health, Inc. as a means to use my education at Union College and the Graduate College at Union University to provide reform in the health care industry. I plan to use my training and knowledge to develop software and solutions that improve health care and reach as many patients as possible. This region is prime for improvements in health care information technology and I hope to be at the forefront of these innovations.”

“The Capital Region provides more opportunities for achievement because there are several schools in the area. As a biochemistry major, research opportunities were easy to find, though competitive. The University at Albany (the school I attend) and Albany Medical College (a graduate school, ten minutes from the UAlbany dorms) both offered summer internship programs that interested me, and I participated in both over two summers. The Albany Medical College experience turned into a long-term commitment, and I continue to work there now, while receiving credit through UAlbany to do the research!”