Yasin Gonenc, Business Administration, SUNY New Paltz - ITU '14
I am very happy to have been a graduate of SUNY New Paltz – Istanbul Technical University Business Administration dual diploma program, and I am grateful for my family’s support throughout my studies. I realize many times over in my everyday life that it definitely was a wise decision to choose this program. My biggest reason for choosing this program was the opportunity to study in the United States, in addition to ITU, and the subsequent employment opportunities. As an individual keen on traveling, photography, and meeting various people from different cultures to expend my horizons, I believe I made the right decision because this program allowed me to realize all of these things.
I constantly experience the privilege of being a SUNY New Paltz Business Administration alumnus every day. Whenever I talk to someone about my experience, regardless of their country of origin, they attest to what a big opportunity I had studying in this program. While being an ITU graduate is a privilege on its own right, earning another diploma from the largest public university system in the US definitely differentiates us in the outside world. I gained a lot during my time in this program. For instance, I believe the friendships I built will last a lifetime as we got to know each other really well, traveled and spent quality time together. Also, relocating between Turkey and the US, getting settled in and dealing with our problems on our own without our families not only allowed us to learn about the local culture, but was a big boost of self-confidence as well. Lastly, having the OPT employment permit after graduation is life altering. After graduating from the SUNY New Paltz – ITU Business Administration program as the program valedictorian, I had the chance to work in New York, through which I had the privilege to experience the competitive professional environment and make professional connections in the US. Upon graduation, I worked at Godiva, one of the most famous chocolatiers, as a Corporate Finance Analyst at its headquarters in Manhattan through OPT. I am currently a masters students in Finance at University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
I am thankful to SUNY for the memories, experience, and friends I earned along the way, and I genuinely recommend the SUNY New Paltz – ITU Business Administration program to everyone.