DELHI, N.Y. (October 23, 2020) - The SUNY Delhi Athletics Department is proud to celebrate National Transfer Student Week! Over the course of this week, we showcased many student-athletes who transferred to SUNY Delhi to complete their degree and reached new heights in the process. Today we turn that spotlight over to our staff who were transfer students themselves and willing to share their experience for current or prospective transfer students.
Zack Thomsen, Men's Basketball Head Coach
Colleges Attended: Onondaga Community College, West Virginia University Institute of Technology
"I chose to attend a community college for my first two years of college for a variety of different reasons. The majority of those reasons revolved around basketball. As a high school senior I felt that I was under recruited and I knew going the community college route would allow me the opportunity to improve my game for two more years, be re-recruited and ultimately play at a higher level than I could by going directly to a four year school. In addition I chose to play for the coach I felt most comfortable with and who spent the most time recruiting me, and that was Coach Pasiak. He helped me to achieve my goals and I transferred on to West Virginia Tech. It was an adjustment moving 10 hours from home and getting to know a new coach and a new team and it was difficult for me at first. In time however I became comfortable at Tech and was fortunate to not only complete my Bachelor's Degree, but also play basketball for four years and be a part of some great teams!"
Rachel Gleason, Athletic Trainer
Colleges Attended: SUNY Delhi, SUNY Cortland
"I knew when I started college that I would be transferring. I attended SUNY Delhi when it was still a two-year school. Besides attending a college with only associate programs, I knew I wanted to study athletic training. I received my Associate's from SUNY Delhi in Physical Education, then moved on to SUNY Cortland to major in athletic training."
Sierra Keesler, Transfer Counselor
Colleges Attended: Onondaga Community College, SUNY Delhi
"During my first year of college, I wasn't really into school. I didn't feel motivated, so I decided to come home to Hancock, N.Y. SUNY Delhi seemed like it might be a better fit, and then I talked with the softball coach and she helped me make my decision to transfer. The admissions office helped me understand how my credits would transfer in. That made me feel better when I was already nervous about starting something new. I was worried about fitting in, but I had no problem making friends and I felt like I had found second and third families in the softball team and people in my major."
Daniel Graham, Sports Information Director
Colleges Attended: Bergen Community College, Centenary College (NJ)
"I only applied to one other college besides my local community college in high school. When I wasn't accepted to that school it was a humbling experience and taught me a lot about being more open-minded when making life decisions. But spending two years at Bergen Community College got me situated into the college experience and the work required to be successful. It also gave me two more years to mature and do more research on finding the right college to finish my degree. I ended up deciding on Centenary College (now Centenary University) in Western New Jersey after speaking to a high school classmate of mine who was on the women's basketball team there. It was at Centenary that I got exposed to the sports information profession and had the privilege of working closely with the athletics staff to prepare for a career in the field."
