David Rush '21 (SUNY Geneseo/Carole Volpe '91)
When it came time to choose a college, David Rush ’21, from Baldwinsville, NY, was torn between Geneseo and another local college that his brother attended. But he decided to trust his gut.
“There was just something special about Geneseo,” Rush says. “I felt a sense of community here.”
A biology major minoring in sociology, Rush is a member of biological honors society Tri-Beta and is a former member and secretary of Crew Club. While in Crew Club, he helped the men’s team win the SUNY Invitational Regatta in 2017.
Rush is also a certified EMT-B with Geneseo First Response (GFR) and has been especially active this past year in assisting with mandatory COVID-19 testing, which requires all Geneseo students—and staff and faculty who come to campus regularly—to participate weekly at an on-campus testing location.
“Everyone in GFR is so friendly and driven,” he says. “It’s a great atmosphere that makes you want to work harder and be a better person.”
From engaging in campus extracurriculars to connecting with fellow Geneseo students and faculty, Rush is thankful to have found plenty of opportunities to grow and learn from many people the past four years.
One such opportunity was studying abroad, which Rush describes as transformative. He kicked off his international adventures in 2018 with Lecturer Regina Clinton’s Biodiversity of Belize course, studying in a remote rainforest research base and exploring ancient Mayan ruins. He also spent the Fall 2019 semester in Florence, Italy, returning to New York just a few months before Italy went into its COVID-19 lockdown.
“I hate to be one of those study abroad students who say, ‘It changed me,’ but it really did,” he says with a laugh. “It helped me cultivate a sense of independence while I learned how to figure more things out on my own.”
As commencement approaches, Rush is savoring the time he has left with his fellow Geneseo seniors and is preparing to apply to accelerated nursing programs at SUNY Binghamton, the University at Buffalo, and the University of Rochester.
Regardless of where he lands after graduating, Rush is confident that the unique knowledge and skills he acquired over the past four years at Geneseo will serve him well.
“Geneseo taught me how to be my own person and helped shape me into who I am today,” he says. “I know when I go out into the world, I’ll be able to take things on and get things done.”