GOLD 10x10+10

KaeLyn Rich '05  |   Katie Meegan '09  |    Matthew Urtz '02 M'05  |    Amy Kishpaugh '05  |  Matt Silverman '00  |  
 Maggie Dolly '07 | Christopher Quereau ’00  |  Corinne Heller '03  |  Scott Peck '08

KaeLyn Rich '05 has been an advocate for social justice as long as she can remember.

As Genesee Valley chapter director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Rich advocates for women's, LBGT and immigrant rights among many other social issues.

English Writing Arts and women's studies major, she served as co-director of the Women's Center, treasurer of Vega and cast director of the peer-education theatre troupe Melodramatics.

"I have been attracted toward jobs that allow me to get paid for activism and standing up for justice," Rich said. "The Women's Center inspired me to truly do work that I love, that feeds my activist soul."

1) Best Oswego moment: Sitting in the nook outside of Penfield Library with friends, "studying" (cough, cough) and enjoying the few fleeting weeks of sunny weather at the end of my last semester.
2) Worst Oswego weather: The infamous ice storm of 2003 - Classes were actually canceled and we all know classes are NEVER canceled at Oswego.
3) Superpower: Superduperfast talking. I could be one of those people that say all the deadly side effects on radio ads for prescription drugs.
4) Soft spot: Adoptable pets, especially little critters like rabbits and rats. I wish I could adopt them all!
5) Good book: My favorite book changes all the time. Most recently, I was completely sucked into Wench, a historical fiction novel by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.
6) Bad rap: Getting uncontrollably loud when I get excited about something - helpful when organizing a rally, not helpful over dinner in a quiet restaurant.
7) Great food: I make some pretty tasty Buffalo Tofu, my potluck specialty since my Oz days.
8) Favorite Oswego extra-curricular: The Women's Center was my home away from home from 2002 to 2005. I was so sad when I had to turn in my office key.
9) Coolest Oswego curricular: Helping produce the first SUNY Oswego production of "The Vagina Monologues" in 2003.
10) Best advice: You have to do what you love. Figure out what you are passionate about and don't let anything hold you back.

Most people wouldn’t think of cleaning up poop as a career pinnacle. But for Katie Meegan ’09, taking care of animals — and their business — is her business.

She's a Buffalo Zoo animal care specialist who moonlights with professional zoologist and TV personality Jarod Miller '00, whom she met when the Biology Club brought him to campus. Today they work together several days a week, showing animals locally and on television shows like the Late Show with David Letterman.

"I'm doing what I want to do. So as far as I'm concerned, I've already made it," says Meegan. "I love teaching people how cool animals really are."

1) Coolest animal you've handled: That's tough. It'd probably have to be a tie between a tapir and a Siberian lynx.
2) Most loved stuffed animal as a kid: A small stuffed lion that I called Lioness.
3) Favorite Rice Creek pastime: My senior year I would escape there to study during the warmer weather and not tell anyone where I was going. I still won't reveal my secret spot.
4) Downside of animal handling: Sometimes I smell. Who am I kidding? Most of the time I smell.
5) Upside of Oswego's weather: It truly makes you appreciate the nicer weather but you also can't beat the sunsets.
6) Dogs or cats? Dogs. I can't stand cleaning kitty litter.
7) Rudy's or Sub Shop? Rudy's all the way. There is something about sitting next to the lake that eating a sub can't come close to.
8) Yes, please: Buffalo Sabres hockey.
9) No, thank you: Snow. I've had enough snow and cold weather to last a lifetime.
10) Little-known fact: Gorillas and chimpanzees have a cluster of sweat glands under their arms (like humans) and may have smelly armpits after exercise.

The Oneida native's time in Oswego included internships at Fort Ontario and the Football Hall of Fame in Ohio. "Anything in sports - a lot of people focus on the numbers. But baseball, football, all of them have amazing social aspects," Urtz said.

Today he assists historians in each of Madison County's 16 municipalities, fields questions for a "Stump the Historian" newspaper segment and handles numerous requests from genealogists near and far.

1) Greatest moment in football history: Most historians point to the Giants-Colts NFL championship. But for me personally it was probably "The Drive" by John Elway. That was when football started to overtake baseball as America's pastime, in my opinion.
2) Greatest moment in your history: The day I married my wife.
3) Best History Channel program: MonsterQuest, Modern Marvels and Cities of the Underworld
4) Little-known Madison County fact: It is home to Gerrit Smith, one of six men who helped fund John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. It is also home to Colonel William Smith, who was one of George Washington's top aides.
5) Something we didn't know about SUNY Oswego: SUNY Oswego's original name was Oswego Primary Teachers' Training School.
6) Favorite Oswego myth: If you are under 100 pounds and it's windy, you get excused from class.
7) Tough Oswego class: Econ 200: Principles of Macroeconomics
8) Most interesting query since becoming historian: Anytime you get into criminal requests prior to 1900, the stories can be quite humorous.
9) Most interesting thing about being a historian: I love the people, anyone researching their personal history has a great energy and excitement that makes the process very fun, and if you find information they were looking for, it's very rewarding.
10) W hat makes Oswego home to you? Good friends, great experiences and a cheeseburger sub from Oswego Sub Shop.

“Oswego was a wonderful experience for me,” says Amy, who also interned with New York news channel NY1. “It really laid the foundation; it was a great stepping stone.” She was inspired to get into sales by a student project. Five years later, Amy is recognized as one of Syracuse’s best in the field. “It’s humbling,” she said.

1) You’ve clocked five years as a pro. Forecast for the next five? I have some personal revenue goals I plan on hitting, plus I am going to get my MBA.
2) Pick five favorite things about Central New York: The area lakes, Dinosaur BBQ, the summer weather, SU basketball games and the fact that there are kickball leagues.
3) Alright, Spanish minor, say something cool in Spanish: Yo quiero Taco Bell.
4) Translation? That phrase demonstrates the power of advertising. It needs no translation.
5) You grew up in Southern California. How did you survive the Oswego winters? Luckily, I was able to travel home every winter break.
6) Toughest WTOP story: Naturally, our executive board didn’t always agree. It was tough being friends, but also trying to run the station.
7) Easiest decision: Going into a career in television after graduation.
8) Saddest song you’ve ever heard: I only listen to upbeat music. I find that it influences my attitude and helps me succeed at my job.
9) Funniest residence hall shenanigans: If I told you, I’d have to kill you.
10) Yummiest item in an Oswego dining hall: Hands down, the Snickers ice cream. Students used to fight to get them!

Matt Silverman ’00 helps defend the state as assistant attorney general in Manhattan. One thing the Brooklyn native has never had to defend, though, is his Oswego education.

The public justice major and student association president found invaluable internship experience with the Oswego County district attorney and U.S. senate as a student.

"I think the Honors program was really good training for law school,” said silverman, who attended Indiana University at Bloomington. “it was very much focused on critical thinking and writing — attention to detail.”

A former federal emergency management agency presidential management fellow and Nassau County legal aid society defense attorney, Silverman primarily handles mental health suits against the state today.

After working in production of Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” and more recent “The Colony,” it’s a scant three.

Monitoring dozens of camera feeds can be tedious and the hours long, but Maggie savors every moment with Original Productions.

She was drawn to California by the Hollywood POV program as a student.

“That sealed the deal,” Maggie remembers. “I didn’t even know there were so many jobs and opportunities on top of it being sunny and 85 degrees all the time.”

1) What would be the title of a reality TV show about you? I would have to go with “O... Dolly,” ‘O’ being my middle initial.
2) Blackberry or iPhone? I am new to the Blackberry world and love it but must admit I have total iPhone envy.
3) No. 1 Oswego spot: The block between Bridge Street and Cayuga Street, between Second and Third streets houses all of my favorites: my house senior year, The Raven, The Brick, Enzo’s and Hong Kong. What more could you want or need?
4) Second best California hangout: By the waterside, beach or pool is all good with me.
5) Tastiest beverage: Mount Morgan — Captain Morgan and Mountain Dew (same ratios as a Captain and Coke). I know it doesn’t sound very tasty, but give it a try — it soooo is!
6) Nastiest food: Sushi. It’s all the rave but my taste buds say, ‘No way!’
7) Smartest move: New York to LA. It has been the best decision of my life.
8) Dumbest catch phrase: “That’s hot.” It’s really not.
9) On your wall: In my room, pictures from home and Dennis The Menace cartoons. On Facebook, the following status update: Maggie Dolly is watching “The Duchess” and wondering how the carriage drivers knew how to get to these castles in the middle of nowhere without maps? No wonder it took them weeks to go places, they were probably traveling in a zigzag.
10) Best vacation ever: Living in SoCal feels like a vacation everyday. I love going home to see my family, but don’t really consider that a vacation. I’d have to go with Paris, sophomore year, spring break with C and Ralph as part of the GST 300 course.

Entrepreneur Christopher Quereau ’00 will tell you getting kicked out of school was one of the best things that ever happened to him.

After flunking computer science, Chris sharpened his academic acumen at a community college near his downstate hometown. The newly launched graphic arts program was waiting when he returned to Oswego.

Chris read business books during his commute while working under Mark Courtney ’89 in New York City. In 2002, he opened his own Oneonta-based GrafiQa marketing firm. Today Chris appreciates “constantly being able to do new, creative things.” GrafiQa’s wide variety of clients includes medium-sized companies, corporations and non-profits.

1) Hottest design trend: We try and avoid trends because they quickly become fads.
2) Coolest project: They are all cool, the ever-changing environment and constantly learning about new clients and then getting to significantly help them keeps the job very interesting.
3) Greatest Oswego moment: First day back to school after getting reaccepted with a new major.
4) Twitter or Facebook: Both - You can easily link up your Twitter account to update your Facebook status. Integration is a good thing.
5) Newspaper or Web: Web - Newspaper may have a renaissance one day, but for now its days seem to be numbered.
6) Best reason to live in Upstate New York: Quality of life and the beauty of the area.
7) Best Oswego residence hall: Hart Hall - I was in the first group that got to live in it after it was renovated. You had to jump through some hoops to live there, but it was well worth it.
8) Worst job: College summer job working at a grocery store in the back of a produce section prepping fruit and vegetables for sale. I had to wake up at 3 a.m. every day.
9) Fill in the blanks: Podcasting is the new radio.
10) Favorite warm-weather spot at Oswego: Down by the round rocks at the foot of Lake Ontario. I have fond memories of swimming there with my future wife, Sarah ’01.

Corinne Heller '03 is a Reuters reporter turned Hollywood sleuth.  

Corinne began her career in Israel, a region rich in stories with international implications. However, five years in that oft-tumultuous environment led her to the sunnier skies of California.

Today Corinne digs up dirt to get her scoops . . . on celebrities. E! Entertainment's editorial research department acts as the network's spy agency.

"I might be asked to locate long-lost friends and family of celebrities profiled on ‘E! True Hollywood Story' or look up a famous person's criminal record," said Corinne, who also occasionally tracks a star's flight. "It's different every time."

1) First sign of spring: I live in LA. There are two seasons: summer and fire.
2) Last book you read: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young
3) Worst movie ever: "Titanic" . . . except for Billy Zane.
4) Best television show: "Lost." As a friend told me, it should be called "How to keep an idiot in suspense."
5) Coolest interview: The Rock. He's really smart. I talked to him on the Red Carpet at the Oscars last year. It was like the Alice Cooper scene in "Wayne's World."
6) Hottest topic: Celebrity screw-ups. People love it when famous people fail. It makes them feel better about themselves.
7) Favorite Oswego memory: Late nights at the Oswegonian
8) On-campus or off: Depends. Are we talking during the day or at night?
9) Biggest grammatical pet peeve: Internet-speak. Whoever invented the "LOL Cats" trend should be smacked.
10) Smallest obsession: My Blackberry  

Scott Peck '08 teaches his students at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School that technology education is all about real-world problem solving. After attending two community colleges to earn his associate's degree, Scott solved his own problem of what career to pursue when he remembered the lasting impact technology education classes had on him in high school.

SUNY Oswego's technology education program came highly recommended to the Canajoharie native. Now teaching four classes in the Albany area, Scott ranks his Oswego experience second to none.

"It was great, all the classes were hands-on," he said. "I feel like all the professors there really instilled something good in me."

1) Little-known fact: In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
2) Favorite holiday: Christmas I love hanging out with my family and enjoying a good meal ... it's also ski season.
3) Best part of your workday: The end of the day when I have students come in for extra help; it's my unwinding time.
4) Worst Oswego experience: Falling over from a gust of wind while trying to hold the door open for someone on my bicycle.
5) Biggest accomplishment: Graduating from Oswego, and getting a job.
6) Tiniest lie: (To a student) I can't print that from my computer ... It's not hooked up to the network.
7) Highest score: A
8) Rudy's or Sub Shop: Rudy's in the springtime for ice cream. Sub Shop on a Friday night.
9) On-campus or off: On-campus, it was a blast. There was always at least one good memory that came out of every weekend on campus.
10) On my bookshelf: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Cradle to Cradle, The Knowledge Web, and The Da Vinci Code. Everyone should read all of them, they are quite choice.< >< >< >< >< >< >< ><-->