Meet members of Geneseo's Class of 2017, who exemplify the college’s commitment to community, innovation, creativity, sustainability, and excellence. In the coming weeks, student writers will highlight our newest alumni and the contributions they have made, the calling they have found and discoveries made along the way. Hear what Brandon says is his greatest Geneseo memory and what he values most about his time here.
In 2013, Brandon Gaylord 17’ packed his belongings in Arizona and set off for an uncertain future at Geneseo. As the very first in his family to attend college, Geneseo was a risk he wanted to take.
To Brandon, Geneseo was a place he could really make an impact. He felt he also brought a new perspective: “Because I am older, my world view is broader.”
His goal? “Be the most active as possible.” Before class even started, Brandon had attended a few GOLD workshops. Their value and emphasis on leadership resonated with him. He used the GOLD program as a model to create a new program — StandUp Leadership.
He organized two StandUp conferences for high-schoolers from the local region that promote leadership development, as well as job and career readiness.
He started StandUp as a recipient of the 2015 Geneseo Alumni Association Ambassador of Philanthropy award. He used the $5,000 award and the support of the college to start last year's conference. Three hundred high schoolers attended, learning leadership and job readiness skills, participating in hands-on activities. Those workshops were led by close to 10 Geneseo faculty members. They also learned about area colleges and what it takes to get into and succeed in college, and what employment opportunities are in the region.
Brandon said he wanted to extend the impact Geneseo had on him, in terms of developing strong leadership capabilities. In addition, high-schoolers may not have the same access to leadership skill-building. “We wanted to level the playing field, and promote the empowerment of students who don’t normally get opportunities for leadership,” he said.
Brandon has worked hard to ensure StandUp will continue and involve more students: Livingston County has provided funding to offset the cost of the program’s expenses. In addition, The Miller Foundation provided StandUp with enough funds to remain operational for the next two years. Faculty and staff, says Brandon, have provided guidance. StandUp would not be possible without volunteers, especially students, he says.
“I have found that when you start doing things like service, the Geneseo community becomes even more supportive,” he said.
This fall, he will attend Harvard Graduate School of Education. In the future, he wants to expand the StandUp leadership model to other colleges outside Geneseo to impact more communities.
The interaction he had with a high-school participant will stay with him: “She said, ‘I wanted to let you know that I don’t get opportunities like this and I don’t take this lightly. You don’t understand things like this don’t happen to me,’” he said. “She walked away and this meant the world to me.”
— Story and short video interview by Kitrick McCoy '19