Meet the Students • School of Architecture, Management, & Engineering Technology

Meet the StudentsSchool of Architecture, Management, & Engineering Technology

Hands-on quality education with career focus in a caring community has been Alfred State’s mission for years. We introduce you to some of our current students pursuing their dreams in a wide variety of majors at the School of Architecture, Management, & Engineering Technology

Daneil NewmanMechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering technology major Daneil Newman is ready to start his career after enjoying his program and the environment at Alfred State.

Daneil enjoys the projects that have enhanced his learning experiences. “The projects can be multi-disciplinary. You get to use everything that you have learned so far to assess the project. It really gives you the feel of how to assess and put that into real-world application.”

that students that come from Alfred State have a greater depth of knowledge and understanding of the materials.”

With his experiences at Alfred State ending soon, Daneil is excited to start a new job at Sage Engineering (Albany, NY) days after he crosses the graduation stage.

Gabriela LeiteBusiness Administration/Accounting

Gabriela Leite has been able to mix academics, athletics, and her job as a tour guide into a rewarding collegiate experience at Alfred State.

Gabriela was born and raised in Brazil until her family moved to Arkansas when she was fifteen. “I just fell in love with the campus even though it was virtual. I always like more of a rural place, a smaller town, so I did the virtual tour and I just immediately fell in love.”

Gabriela was undecided about what she wanted to study until she took an accounting class during her second semester. “I started to realize I really like accounting and my third semester I took managerial accounting which I truly enjoyed. I then took a business communication class that was interesting. So as the years go on, I am just falling in love with my major.”

As a double major, in business administration and accounting, Gabriela really likes the smaller classroom environment. “I get more attention from the teacher, especially in certain situations where I might not know exactly what I am doing. I am less scared to raise my hand and ask a professor a question. Every single professor that I have had so far has been extremely friendly and welcoming.”

Kellen FletcherDigital Media & Animation

Kellen Fletcher was looking for a college with digital media and animation (DMA) and an NCAA swimming program. He found his perfect match at Alfred State.

“I chose Alfred State because of academics and athletics. The academic program was exactly what I wanted coming out of high school and the athletics was a bonus. I was interested in graphics and computers so this major has a lot of real-world applications that I thought would be good for me to get into.

His work in the classroom is preparing Kellen for his dream job of doing motion graphics and animation work for a professional sports team. “I have been doing a lot of motion graphic work and a lot of 3D animation and character design. I have worked on different logo designs, animated them, and created characters from scratch. The real-world application and creating professional work that will be seen by companies is what we are doing.”

Relationships with his professors have enhanced Kellen’s academic experiences. “I have had some awesome professors. They are accessible outside of class and have helped and guided me through things that I got stuck on. Usually, we have lectures and then have lab. In lab we get to work on what the teachers lectured on.”

Marina MiketishMechanical Engineering Technology/Mechatronics

Marina Miketish wanted to stay closer to home, attend a school that was affordable, and study mechatronics. Alfred State has provided that and more to Marina as she double majors in mechanical engineering technology and mechatronics.

“I am into math and science, so I like problem solving. I like that the labs are hands-on, which give me the chance to fully understand what is being taught. The labs really go with the lectures. You are learning something and then you are learning it again in a way that will be useful outside of college.”

“Alfred State is a great school, especially with accreditations and preparing you for later in life. I really like my professors. They are very understanding.”

Marina has participated on the track and field team, been a resident assistant in her dorm, and currently is an academic peer mentor. She also joined Delta Chi Omega (DCO) at the beginning of her sophomore year.

“Being in Delta Chi Omega has changed me as a person in a good way. I was a little shy to talk to people. When I talked to a DCO sister it was genuine and the sisters have helped me get through hard times. I have gotten to know people that I might not have met. I have built character.”

Soumya KonarInformation Technology: Applications Software Development

A search for top application software development programs introduced Soumya Konar to Alfred State from her home in Mumbai, India. Her experiences in and out of the classroom have made her a Pioneer for life.

“I searched a lot of colleges and was looking for all the good colleges for computer sciences in California and New York and this was one of the best colleges for software development. I like coding, problem-solving, and I like integrating math into it.”

“I really like the environment Alfred State provided. Every interaction I had with staff, students, and faculty on campus was positive. Coming from a populated city, I always wanted lesser people in class so I could interact with the teacher more. I can always go into their office hours and talk about any future goals or certifications that I wanted to do.”

Success in the classroom has opened doors for career opportunities for Soumya. “I have been on internships and worked with mentors with 20 years of experience in the field and got to do real-time projects. I am working at an internship performing Power BI report analytics and integrating it with software solutions already existing with the company.

On top of being part of academic activities like the programming club and cyber security team, Soumya has been very active in student government. She was elected Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and moved up to Student Senate President the following year.