SUNY Oswego senior biology major Naw Ka Paw Paw recently joined a distinguished list of SUNY Educational Opportunity student ambassadors, a role in which she advocates for and promotes this program that opens doors to higher education for students.
State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. announced the third class of the program in October. Twenty-two students from 21 campuses serve as mentors to other students and encourage high school seniors to enroll, help build on the established student EOP support network across the SUNY system and advise the Chancellor on strengthening the program.
“I’m happy for the opportunity to promote the program not just at SUNY Oswego but SUNY-wide through recruitment and other events,” said Paw, who also is a peer leader for Oswego’s EOP.
Through EOP, Paw previously attended SUNY’s 2022 Premedical Opportunity Program which supports a dream that could lead to establishing clinics in her homeland of Myanmar.
“I would like to go back to my country and open up clinics in small towns to help the children who are in need,” Paw said. “Without EOP, I wouldn’t have the opportunities that I have now.”
“Naw is a dependable and reliable student who we have been able to go to for student support in any way,” Joey Tse, director of Oswego’s EOP, wrote in nominating her for the honor. “She is patient, understanding and a great critical thinker and problem solver. She actively listens and can connect with a wide variety of audiences.”
Oswego’s EOP has provided other opportunities including serving as a summer EOP Peer Leader, Chi Alpha Epsilon honor society and the United University Professions Opportunity Day.
Paw, whose next stop after graduation will likely be a physician’s assistant program to learn more about the medical field, said this ambassadorship supports her future plans.
“I know I will have to advocate for healthcare for all in my home country, so the advocacy experience I’m getting as an EOP ambassador will help,” Paw said.
Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul and with significant support from the state Legislature, EOP continues to provide students — most the first from their families to go to college — with comprehensive services and personalized support. The 2024 Enacted Budget includes nearly $44 million to ensure the success of the program for SUNY EOP students.
“For more than 50 years, the Educational Opportunity Program has served as a guiding light toward upward mobility and student success for those who may not have had a clear path to college. Our EOP student ambassadors, many the first in their families to go to college, are a testament to what can be achieved with the support provided by the EOP,” Chancellor King said.
“With their guidance, we can improve the EOP, and with their encouragement, more students will follow their path to a college education,” King added. “My thanks to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature for their support so that SUNY can continue to build on the EOP's success by supporting more students for the next 50 years."
For more information about SUNY Oswego’s EOP, visit oswego.edu/educational-opportunity-program.