Oswego State alumnus supports campus involvement at ALANA press conference

Jessica Wickham
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read

By Jessica Wickham

Quindell Williams, Oswego State alumnus, answers student questions at the Sept. 6 ALANA press conference.

Quindell Williams, a photojournalist and 2011 Oswego State alumnus, returned to campus Thursday for an Asian, Latino, African and Native American (ALANA) organizations press conference, where he emphasized the importance of undergraduate experience for future career success.

Williams currently works for CNY Central, the Syracuse affiliate for NBC, CBS and CW, where he won two Emmy Awards for team projects.

While attending Oswego State, Williams was an active member of several ALANA groups, including the African Student Organization and the Black Student Union, and helped to establish the ALANA Peace Walk and BSU’s endowed scholarship fund. He was also a member of the campus’s TV and radio stations, WTOP-10 and WNYO, positions he said helped prepare him for his career in broadcasting and mass media.

“As a photojournalist, I try to merge…ALANA and WNYO and WTOP-10 by showing representation of people that I know who are doing great things in their community who may not always be represented in the media fairly,” Williams said.

At the conference, held at 4 p.m. in the Marano Campus Center auditorium, Williams elaborated on his job responsibilities and motivations for getting involved in media, an area that he acknowledged can be a difficult career field for minorities. As advice to students, Williams said to join clubs and organizations related to the desired career to create connections and garner experience that help in the long run.

“Do as much as you can; learn as much as you can,” Williams said. “Obviously, you want to have fun and do things, but get involved and network.”

That message resonated with Oswego State sophomore and broadcasting major Michael Marrano, who attended the event as news director at WNYO.

“I thought it was a good way to get a firsthand view of what he does, and…a great way to figure out what he does and what he did to get his foot in the door,” Marrano said.

Magdalena Rivera, student involvement coordinator for the conference, said Marrano’s reaction and those of other students in attendance were an encouraging sign of the event’s success.

“I’m hoping that the students learn and heard from Quindell how valuable it is [that] when you’re a student here, you participate in programs and in organizations outside of your classroom experience,” Rivera said.

Wayne Westervelt, chief communication officer at Oswego State, also expressed the positive impact the conference had on those in attendance. Westervelt said that bringing in an alumnus like Williams helped provide an example for students to follow to find success in their own fields.

“It’s great for us to welcome back to campus alumni who have gone onto be successful and can share their journey, both as a student but also as a professional in their career,” Westervelt said.

Williams said the experience was rewarding for him and he hopes he impacted students in a positive and productive way.

“If I can reach one or two students out of the few that were here, then it’s all worth it,” Williams said.

The ALANA press conference served as a primer for the ALANA 32nd annual Student Leadership Conference, filled with multiple events running from Sept. 21 to Sept. 29 designed to promote a multicultural environment of mutual understanding.

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