Brian Amaya ‘27, an Accounting major, has been selected as one of 20 students across 18 campuses to serve as a SUNY Educational Opportunity Program Ambassador.
“I hope to inspire students that come from disadvantaged backgrounds to use the program as a means to change their lives and redefine who they are as students and people,” Amaya said after being named an EOP ambassador for the second consecutive year.
EOP Ambassadors are full-time students who demonstrate leadership and promise as a mentor in the program. They are chosen through a nomination process and selection by SUNY administration committee members.
“For 60 years, SUNY's Educational Opportunity Program has supported tens of thousands of students as they work to achieve academic excellence and upward mobility,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “EOP students are models of student success and some of our most effective ambassadors for the affordable excellence SUNY provides. SUNY is proud to recognize the hard work of our EOP students and provide them opportunities to support their peers during their academic journey.”
Amaya meets the Chancellor’s “hard work” description. On campus, he serves as a presidential ambassador and an EOP tutor. Off campus, he is a volunteer firefighter at the Great Neck Vigilant Fire Department and EMT, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and in pursuit of an internship with EY, one of the four largest professional service firms in the world.
The SUNY EOP program at Old Westbury removes barriers for first-generation and low-income students working to pursue their college degrees by providing pathways and increased access to opportunities.