Dennis Dorf
Graduation Year: 2009
Major: English with a concentration in Pre-Med
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
WHY ONEONTA?
Dennis always assumed that when it came to choosing a college, New York City had all of the options he could ever want. But when his college advisor suggested the SUNY schools, he gave them a closer look—and he liked what he saw at Oneonta. Dennis recalls that the admissions process was “incredibly personal” and “genuine,” and he realized that a smaller college in a smaller town would give him the kind of experience he wanted.
“What really matters is the support network, the relationships, the fact that you are a person and not just a number,” Dennis says. “At Oneonta the professors are interested in me and not just their own projects; they want to see me succeed. I feel like I can do anything here and there are no limits—inside or outside the classroom.”
GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCES:
A recipient of the 2009 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, Dennis recounts several incredible learning experiences. At the top of his list are participating in a small, writing-intensive seminar offered by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler through Oneonta’s English Department; completing the summer John Burroughs Nature Writing Conference and Seminar: Nineteenth Century Writing and Nineteenth Century Science, offered by Oneonta’s English Department at Vassar College; doing an independent study on global trends in pediatric AIDS and HIV infection with Professor Lynn Evans; going to New Orleans for a congressional conference for his fraternity, where he assisted a community that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and interacted with student leaders that represented chapters across the nation.
LEADERSHIP:
Dennis has held a number of leadership positions on campus, including President of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, President of the Chi Phi Fraternity, Resident Advisor, and Community Service Chair for the InterGreek Council. He has performed with drama groups such as Mask & Hammer and the Orpheus Theatre. Inside the classroom, he is reading the literature he loves as an English major while preparing to attend medical school.
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
Dennis has spent numerous hours on service projects such as a marathon walk to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as well as community improvement projects in Cooperstown as part of Oneonta’s annual “Into the Streets” day of service.
WHAT’S NEXT?
After a summer of volunteering at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in NYC and working at the NY Arthritis Clinic, Dennis will attend SUNY Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he will focus on medicine and public health. He plans to pursue research in pediatric infectious disease and explore opportunities in medical journalism.
What three words summarize your experience at Oneonta?
Amazing, Sincere, Friendship.
What activities are you involved in both on and off campus?
On Campus: Greek Life, Admissions, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society, Residence Life, National Residence Hall Honorary, fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, community service through the Center for Social Responsibility and Community.
Off Campus: Volunteering at a hospital, completing a medical internship, working with the New York Aquarium Education Department.
What advice do you have for high school students considering Oneonta?
In college, be yourself! Ask questions often, dream big, and never believe that something is impossible. Working hard will get you to where you want to go, but those friendships you make along the way will mean the world to you.
