Laurel O'Connor
Binghamton Fund Coordinator, Advancement
I'm a Syracuse-area native who moved to the Binghamton area a few years ago. My undergraduate degree is in Spanish from SUNY Cortland, and my graduate degree is from Drew University in Madison, NJ. When I first started getting ready for college, my parents were both HS graduates so we definitely struggled to navigate the system and I ended up with a few unnecessary loans... I remember not even knowing what a FAFSA was and not knowing who to call at the college for certain things. When I decided to transfer to another college (to SUNY Cortland from SUNY Fredonia), I ran into another slew of challenges and ended up taking Freshman Composition as a Junior! But I graduated and am happy with my undergraduate experience. Before coming to Binghamton University I was an Associate Pastor in a church in Endicott, and have a small business called Affirm Fundraising that helps ministries fundraise (no chicken bbqs, please!). I have two children and live in Johnson City, and joined Binghamton University as staff so I can help them grow their Binghamton Fund and continue to support students through scholarships and other unique ventures (like BFirst!).
