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ESF Students Selected for SUNY Educational Opportunity Career Development Internship Program
SYRACUSE, N.Y.— Feb. 7, 2025 — Nicole Buitron and Ladnijirah Lightner, students at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) were selected for the inaugural cohort for the SUNY Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Career Development Internship Program.
The program, announced by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., builds on SUNY’s vision of providing an internship or other high-quality experiential opportunity for every SUNY student prior to graduation. Up to 50 eligible EOP students will participate in one of three cohorts in year one and receive up to $5,000.
“For over 50 years, the SUNY Educational Opportunity Program has been a driving force in student success and upward mobility,” said King. “The launch of the EOP Career Development Internship Program marks another significant milestone in SUNY’s mission to empower our incredible EOP students with the resources they need to thrive. This initiative offers invaluable professional experience with New York State agencies, setting students on a clear path to successful careers, including in public service.”
Buitron is a chemical engineering major, and Lightner is majoring in Environmental Studies-Environmental Policy.
“The SUNY EOP Career Development Internship Program offers invaluable professional experience, paving the way for our students' success,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “We are proud of Nicole and Ladnijirah for being selected for the first cohort and look forward to their achievements. We appreciate SUNY and Chancellor King for initiating this impactful program.”
The EOP Career Development Internship Program will connect students with New York state agencies as they pursue completion of their degree and prepare for the launch of their careers by providing them with real-world professional experience and skill development within a field that aligns both with their academic pursuit and personal interests; personalized mentorship; as well as financial support that helps students develop personal budgeting, as well as basic needs support in the event a student has transportation or other accessibility hurdles that would otherwise prevent them from participating in the program. The program is made possible through funding allocated to SUNY by Empire State Development.
Last February, Governor Hochul announced SUNY campuses will invest nearly $10 million in recurring state funding to provide 3,000 SUNY students with internships and other experiential learning opportunities before graduation. The funding was secured through a $163 million increase in direct operating aid to SUNY’s State-operated campuses for FY 2024.
For more than 50 years, SUNY EOP has served students, helping more than 85,000 participants graduate from college. EOP also contributes to New York's workforce development, with more than 78% of EOP graduates staying in New York to live and work.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.
About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.