Alumni Perspectives: How SUNY Oswego Aided Post-Grad Success

Andrew Valentine and Evan Schombs

Oswego, NY – At SUNY Oswego every major falls into a more specific school within the campus, all tailored to giving students the tools they need to succeed in their field. 

SUNY Oswego is organized into four main colleges:

– College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Engineering (CLASE)

– College of Business and Entrepreneurship (COBE)

– College of Communication, Media and the Arts (CMA)

– College of Education, Health and Human Services (CEHHS)

The largest, (CLASE), is further divided into three sub-schools: Engineering and Natural Sciences, Humanities, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. For now, we will only be focusing on (COBE), (CMA), and (CEHHS). 

These schools that make up the SUNY Oswego campus help create a diverse student body which in turn creates a diverse alumni network. 

As we reach mid-April, the spring semester begins to wind down. Roughly 2,000 Oswego students graduate each year. 

A huge stressor for those about to graduate is the job market. After you spend four years building experience, you’d hope to end up with great career opportunities. Luckily, Oswego can almost guarantee success. According to the 2024 SUNY Oswego Annual Report, 97% of graduates will end up employed or continuing their education within one year of leaving. 

98% for the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, 99% for the College of Communication, Media, and the Arts, and 99% for the College of Education, Health, and Human Services. 

It’s quite apparent that these are impressive statistics on their own, but we wanted to highlight the students behind them as well. We spoke with alumni of each college and asked two specific questions:

“How does Oswego prepare you for graduation?” and “What has been your post-grad experience?”

First, we reached out to Reagan Clark ’24, who received a degree from the College of Education.

“I was offered a residential substitution position at one of the Dryden CSD Elementary Schools. I recently accepted a job in the Syracuse City School District as an elementary teacher for the 26-27 school year.” 

We also asked Clark how SUNY Oswego prepared her for graduation. 

“Oswego does an amazing job preparing future educators for the teaching world. Not only is the program itself great, but they also provide us with opportunities to connect with people already in the education field for real life experience. We get to meet with administrators and ask questions on how to build our resumes and what is appealing to them.” 

Oswego takes pride in guiding students towards habits that will lead to success. By bringing in alumni and field professionals, students will have a better understanding what is expected in their career.

Rob Cirabisi ’25 reflects positively on his time in the School of Business, even crediting his current role as a Sales Operations Specialist at MRI Real Estate Software to the experiences gained through the School of Business.

Cirabisi admires the knowledge the professors from the School of Business pass on to their students; “They weren’t just teaching theory, they were connecting everything back to what actually happens in a job.”

When asked if he had any regrets from his time at Oswego, Ciriabisi told us, “If I could go back, I’d make more of an effort to speak up in class and build stronger relationships with professors.”

Cirabisi spoke on the outcomes of these sorts of relationships, stating he “saw doors open for some students by gaining a strong connection with professors. Whether that be advice or job recommendations.”

Despite this, Rob Cirabisi has been able to find early success at MRI Software. Cirabisi started as an Associate Account Executive in August of 2025 and was promoted to a Sales Operations Specialist by January of 2026.

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Technology is ever changing, and so is the communications job-market. Jordan Deitterich ’15 graduated from SUNY Oswego over ten years ago, and has extensive experience in the Broadcasting world. 

“I started in Watertown, N.Y. as an intern for WWNY TV. I had all my experience throughout college, and then I was told by my news director, maybe you should choose a different career.”

Deitterich was vocal about the times where he struggled in the industry, especially early on. But he soon found his footing. 

“I go over to CBS. NewsMax, Real America’s Voice, and now Fox Miami. And I’ve been their number one in the market. And it’s not even close.”

During the conversation, we asked Dietterich how SUNY Oswego helped him get to where he is today. He had a lot to say about the power of being pushed back against, and how he overcame being labeled “new and inexperienced.” Adversity was his driving force in bettering himself. 

“I went behind closed doors, and I looked at highlights on ESPN and I read them every day. I wrote my own scripts. I watched their videos, and I wrote it to myself. So that when I walked in there when they gave me cold scripts, I read it like Stuart Scott. I went in there, and I read it like Steve Levy, to let them know, ‘Hey, I’m him.’”

But ultimately, he attributes much of his success to how early on he was able to work and get his hands on everything. 

“Oswego is $40-50,000 cheaper than places like S.U. … You can lock in there day one and be a part of their multimedia clubs. It’s cool to see everything you can be given. How many other colleges are giving 18 year olds high-end equipment literally at the click of a button?”

Deitterich knows his path was difficult, but confidence and perception guided him through his journey.

 “You’ve gotta be able to look at your life and say, What do I want to do with it? I told myself at a young age, Get to Miami, figure the heck out. And I did that at 25.”

Each year, Oswego releases an “annual report”. It allows for us to see the data on incoming students, graduates, and those returning for higher education. 

In the past five years 97.2% of graduates from Oswego have been employed or continued their education, 89% have found full time field work, and 85% have been able to work in N.Y.S.

Regardless of COVID-19 in 2020-2021, SUNY Oswego has maintained incredibly consistent on their ability to supply adequate education and experience for its students. 

So if you’re an incoming student, or walking the stage this May, rest assured that Oswego will give you the opportunities you need for success.