No matter where you come from or how you identify, everyone can find a place at SUNY Potsdam.
Students, employees, families, alumni, friends, allies, neighbors and guests to our campus are all recognized as valued members of our community. Our campus has become an increasingly diverse community, reflecting the diversity of the nation and the world as a whole, and we strive every day to create an educational environment built on trust and respect for all. Our College mission and the Potsdam Pledge outline our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.
SUNY Potsdam is dedicated to embracing the diversity of its community members.
"The New York Association of Chief Academic Officers, composed of the campus academic leaders of the 64 campuses of the State University of New York, stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and the broad coalition of demonstrators to oppose structural racism and oppression"...Read SUNY's Full Statement of Solidarity (PDF)
Advocating for Others
A child of deaf adults, Julita Nunez ’24 has seen firsthand the struggles that people with disabilities often face. Advocating for her parents defined her youth, and impacted how she has interacted with everyone around her. Now, a senior at SUNY Potsdam, Nunez is working as a peer advisor to help prepare her classmates for their careers—a leadership role that has been the perfect training ground for her own career aspirations focused on helping people with disabilities, the incarcerated, or students in higher education.
When Wilber Parada ’20 arrived at SUNY Potsdam his freshman year, he already had a vision for his future. His plans to one day become a Doctor of Physical Therapy would involve years of hard work, completing undergraduate and graduate degrees, and passing the National Physical Therapy Examination. Seven years later he has made his dream a reality. Parada is now working at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC, one of the top-rated hospitals in the country, where he’s researching exoskeletons and robotics, and helping to rehabilitate patients suffering from chronic illnesses.
Relocating from Ghana to New York City when she was 10 years old, Jessica Semenyo ’22 found herself looking for a college experience away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. That’s when she discovered SUNY Potsdam. Over the past four years, she has embarked on many adventures through the Live Now program, while completing her degree in community health. After walking across the stage at commencement in May, Semenyo plans on attending graduate school to become a registered dietician.
