Alumna spotlight: Devin Brady
“I don’t think there is a more powerful weapon than education,” said Devin Brady, who since graduating from Hudson Valley in 2013 has gone on to hold leadership positions in SUNY student governance and then start a career working full time at SUNY.
Brady was a standout student at Hudson Valley, where she developed the foundations to continue achieving success afterward. She was a member of the student senate as a freshman and president of Phi Theta Kappa as a senior.
Gayle Healy is the director of the Center for Careers and Employment and an advisor to Phi Theta Kappa. “Devin is someone that any sort of professional development opportunity, she’ll take advantage of,” she said.
Brady’s academic achievement and extracurricular activity brought her recognition by being named to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and receiving the Chancellors award. She graduated with an associate’s degree in business administration.
“At Hudson Valley I was able to take all of the prerequisites I needed for a four year degree,” said Brady.
After Hudson Valley, she transferred to SUNY Albany where she ended up pursuing a degree in psychology.
While at UAlbany in early 2014, she interned for SUNY in the office of strategic planning and accountability. One of her coworkers was a member involved in the SUNY Student Assembly and encouraged her to become the director of communications when there was an opening.
The SUNY Student Assembly is a governing body made up of representatives from all 64 SUNY campuses, including Hudson Valley. Its purpose is to give students a voice in SUNY policy decisions. The president of the Student Assembly is given a seat on the SUNY Board of Trustees.
Brady took the director of communications job and became involved with the Student Assembly in speaking with New York lawmakers about legislative items that would affect SUNY students.
She was then elected as the secretary on the executive board of Student Assembly in May 2014 where she served along with the organization’s president, vice president, treasurer as top leaders in the state’s student governance system.
During her time with the Student Assembly, she advocated for issues such as curbing tuition costs and reforms on sexual assault procedures. She helped create the “It’s On Us” initiative, which called on all students to be responsible in decreasing sexual assaults on campus. A related event was held at Hudson Valley this past fall where students signed a pledge to stand up to sexual assault.
In addition to supporting sexual assault policy reforms, the Student Assembly’s agenda for the 2014-15 academic year includes textbook affordability and community college aid and chargebacks.
Brady is motivated to help make the SUNY system better because she has three younger siblings who may be getting educated in the system. The Shenendehowa graduate also believes that a stronger SUNY system means stronger communities in New York. “To really be a changing force for future generations is important,” she said.
She graduated with a degree in psychology in August and resigned from her position as secretary of the Student Assembly at the end of the fall semester. She believes that getting involved early in college is key to making the most out of an education experience and achieving career success.
“Getting involved with the campus community is the most important thing to making time at Hudson Valley valuable,” she said.