Kaaden Sherwood '26, business administration major and first-generation student (SUNY Geneseo photo/Matt Burkhartt).
Kaaden Sherwood ’26, from Poughkeepsie, NY, recently received the Dr. James and Arleen Somerville First Generation Scholarship. A business administration major, Sherwood transferred to Geneseo from Duchess Community College.
“While I don’t know exactly what I want to do after college, the few classes I’ve taken relating to business have intrigued me in ways that other classes don’t,” he says. “I feel like for the first time I’m learning something useful, and I’m progressing as I mature. I’m very enthusiastic about what I’m currently learning, and I’m determined to do well.”
Sherwood says the people on campus are great, although he acknowledges it’s challenging to be away from close friends. “I take pride in the friendships I have back home, and it’s hard being in a new place, especially coming in as a transfer,” he says.
Nevertheless, Sherwood likes Geneseo’s rural location—and finds it conducive to his studies. “Everyone wants to get away from home responsibilities, but for me, it was a place I could come and do well in school,” he explains. “While I feel bad about not being home to help out my grandparents and siblings, this is something that I need to do for myself.”
The First Generation Scholarship has provided him with a great opportunity and time to focus on his education, Sherwood says, and he plans to make the most of it.
Read more about First Generation Students on campus.