Bettany Braswell ‘23 connects coursework to life

Bettany Braswell ‘23 spent all of her childhood at her grandmother’s house, from infancy through high school. She fondly remembers afternoons full of stories about her grandmother’s childhood in Puerto Rico and immigration to the United States with Braswell’s grandfather.

As a senior psychology major this spring, Braswell came to realize just how much of her Binghamton experience was influenced by those childhood experiences with her grandmother.

“I want to be able to make my grandparents proud of something,” she said. “I do everything to make them proud. It’s a huge accomplishment for me to be graduating, because my uncle went to college, but my mom didn’t.”

Unfortunately, her grandmother, who died after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, isn’t here to celebrate this milestone with her. However, Braswell’s time at Binghamton has given her new avenues through which she can connect with her grandmother.

Braswell is originally from Brooklyn, and one of her priorities when applying to college was getting away from the city. She applied to several schools in upstate New York, and when she received an acceptance letter to Binghamton University, it seemed like an easy enough answer for her: yes — because of the strong academics and the affordable cost.

Deciding what to major in was more difficult. She considered French and linguistics, but her mother wanted her to major in a science. She chose psychology and ended up falling in love with it. Through her studies, she also achieved a deeper understanding of herself and her family — and, most importantly, she strengthened her ties to her late grandmother.

Braswell was extremely close to her grandmother, and after the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, she wanted to understand how the disease impacted different sectors of her grandmother’s brain.

“I wanted to understand the science side of it, rather than just the personal experience,” she said.

This led to her interest in behavior analysis and cognitive psychology, which she is considering pursuing in graduate school after taking at least a semester off to figure out what she wants to do next.

“After taking so many psychology electives, I can’t pick one just yet to focus on in graduate school,” she said.

After graduating, Braswell will spend some time in Colombia, where she will teach Spanish speakers how to improve their English, particularly in professional settings.

Until then, she is savoring time spent with the close friends she’s made at Binghamton, especially through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), a family she is grateful to have at her side.

“EOP has been sort of like my foundation,” she said. “It’s been my driving force. If I ever need anything, I know where my people are. It’s a sense of community.

“I met so many interesting people that all come from different backgrounds, and it’s nice to surround yourself with them as well as the people that understand you and come from a similar background and culture.”

Braswell holds one of these relationships especially dear: Yulanda Whyte Johnson, an EOP senior academic counselor, provided opportunities for Braswell to flourish as a student and to be recognized for her success via several awards.

Most recently, Braswell was one of only 46 students statewide to receive the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for EOP Student Excellence. The award has been presented annually since 2019 to students who have exhibited academic success, courage, perseverance and leadership qualities during their journey to earn an associate or bachelor’s degree.

The award is named in honor of the late Norman R. McConney, Jr., who, alongside former Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly Arthur O. Eve, helped draft the legislation that created EOP as a statewide program.

“Winning the award has sort of been my capstone,” Braswell said. “I’ve been here for four years, I’m an excellent student, I worked hard. I ended the year with a bang.”

Braswell doesn’t see her greatest achievement as anything a plaque or trophy can represent, though. It all goes back to deepening her relationship with her grandmother. During her time at Binghamton, Braswell retaught herself Spanish so she could better communicate with her grandmother.

“I grew up in a bilingual household. My mom and my grandparents raised me, so I understood Spanish really well, but when I spoke, it sounded Americanized,” Braswell explained. “I was embarrassed by it and didn’t want to speak Spanish, but then I had to revert back to it as my grandmother’s Alzheimer’s got worse.”

Braswell took a Spanish class for heritage speakers her first year at Binghamton and strengthened her Spanish immensely. Unfortunately her grandmother passed away before she could make use of her renewed language skills, but she is still grateful for the opportunity to take the course and communicate with her family more effectively.

Like the Spanish class, Braswell found many resources on campus to take advantage of. She has passed that knowledge along as an EOP peer mentor, and she cherishes the experience of helping other students realize everything that’s out there for them.

“Take advantage of every resource you possibly can,” she advised younger students, “because there are so many opportunities here, and you never know what you’ll find.”