From SUNY to the Senate 鈥� first-generation college student Rackmyer '19 lands dream job at 22
It鈥檚 been a whirlwind of a year for Taryn Rackmyer 鈥�19. She spent most of 2021 finishing
up her master鈥檚 degree while serving as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fellow
at SUNY System Administration 鈥� a full-time position in which she worked on system-wide
policies and initiatives and collaborated with chief diversity officers at all 64
campuses to help SUNY continue its mission of accessible higher education in New York
State.
And in late November 2021, Rackmyer accepted another exciting position 鈥� Budget Analyst for the New York State Senate.
鈥淚鈥檓 a first-generation college student who had no real expectations of what life would look like after college,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 certainly would never have imagined I鈥檇 have my dream job at 22 years old.鈥�
As a Budget Analyst, Rackmyer advises senators on the fiscal implications of legislation on many topics, including immigration, liquor and cannabis law, consumer protection, and elections. She also is deeply involved in the development and negotiation of the $200 million state budget.
鈥淭he applied learning experiences I participated in at 石榴视频 gave me the tools and connections to launch a successful early career that followed me to Albany,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y experiences at 石榴视频 helped me branch out of my comfort zone and gain confidence in my leadership capabilities. And the supportive environment meant I never felt alone or uncertain about how to progress.鈥�
Rackmyer earned two associate degrees from 石榴视频 鈥� Public Policy in December 2018 and Accounting in May 2019. She then transferred to the University at Albany Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, where she earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in public policy (December 2020) and a master鈥檚 degree in political science, law, and politics (December 2021).
Compassion and a passion for learning is what steered Rackmyer toward the field of public policy. 鈥淕rowing up, I was unaware of privilege. I hadn鈥檛 yet seen the ways in which injustice and inequality are ingrained in the social institutions we rely on, or how they prevent countless families from meeting their basic needs,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he resulting shift in my perception of American life drove me to dedicate my life and career to addressing the suffering I saw.鈥�
Like many students, Rackmyer was looking for an affordable education. As a high school senior, she learned her achievements had earned a full-tuition Wilcox Exceptional Student Scholarship to 石榴视频. While making her college decision, she leaned on older sibling Amanda, a 2014 graduate of 石榴视频, who helped her become familiar with the opportunities offered by the College.
Once enrolled, Rackmyer found 石榴视频 offered much more than affordability. 鈥淚 was given the opportunity to work with a diverse body of students whose backgrounds and perspectives opened my eyes to the world outside my own.鈥� She became deeply involved in campus life, joining clubs, and serving on the executive boards for both 石榴视频 Student Congress and SUNY Student Assembly. She also worked in various offices throughout the College, including the Learning Commons, Center for Corporate and Community Education, and the Student Services Help Desk 鈥� her first real professional work experiences, which she says helped her refine her communication and time management skills.
鈥淚 think one of the things that stuck with me the most from 石榴视频 was the importance and value of compassion,鈥� she says. 鈥淟eadership isn鈥檛 just about efficiency 鈥� it鈥檚 also about the compassion and kindness you show, and that is something I feel I wouldn鈥檛 fully understand to this level without my time at 石榴视频.鈥�
This collection of photos hanging in Taryn's office highlight some of the key moments in her journey: High school graduation, 石榴视频 graduation, her move to Albany and working at SUNY, her last day at SUNY, UAlbany graduation for her master's degree, and her first day at the NYS Senate.