EOP student: ‘I was proud of who I became’

A recent graduate reflects on his FLCC experience and his recognition at a SUNY event for Educational Opportunity Program students.

Gryphon Akridge-Phillips of Williamson capped his FLCC experience as a recipient of the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for Educational Opportunity Program Student Excellence.

The award acknowledges students who exemplify excellence while overcoming hardship and personal challenges. It was presented to a total 50 students across the State University of New York (SUNY) system this spring.

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Gryphon Akridge-Phillips EOP was created in 1967 to provided access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.

Gryphon, who was on the dean’s list in spring and fall 2024, also served as an EOP student leader from 2023-24, helping new participants in the program adjust to college life.

A graduate of Williamson Senior High School, he completed an associate degree in creative writing in December 2024. He will transfer to SUNY Plattsburgh in the fall.  He answered the following questions about the award and his FLCC experiences.

What was your reaction to receiving the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award?

Winning the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award was a pleasant shock to me. I’ve been told my whole life that hard work pays off,  but receiving an award that recognized all my efforts felt surreal. At the ceremony, I heard SUNY board members and others who had become successful in their own lives describe how we had the whole EOP family's support in what we had accomplished. Along with their vision of expectations for what we would go on to do. The inspiring words in the various speeches moved me as I couldn’t help but feel my hope reborn. Their outlook brought reassurance, especially with the uncertain age of AI (artificial intelligence), anti-intellectualism, and the current political climate.

Since the award recognizes students who have overcome disadvantages, can you talk about your experience in this regard?

The way high school paints the reality of college couldn’t be further from the truth. They don’t mention the deep-rooted loneliness and isolation that comes with beginning your first semester of college. I have always struggled with depression, and I could feel it becoming cataclysmic as I navigated my way through what would be the very start of my college experience.

My last two semesters were when I dealt with the most hardships. In April 2023 my aunt, a close family member who had been living with my family, passed away. My sister and mother were taking care of her medical needs. This death shook the fabric of my family. I could feel my mortality in the corner of my mind, and while I kept up with my academics, my grief was bone deep.

What are the highlights of your overall FLCC experience?

The first thought that comes to mind is my part-time job at the library. I grew up surrounded by a home library of approximately 17,000 books, so working at the library felt like a second home.

Dead Poets Society is a club where I found my first college friends who shared a cultivated interest in poetry, literature, and art. For favorite professors, the first one I met was Curt Nehring Bliss, whose First Year Seminar course taught me to dig into my subconscious and bring my thinking in a new light.

Poetry with Jon Palzer is where I honed my craft, along with where I discovered how to implement new metaphors into my work.

Finally, what isn’t there to say about Meg Gillio, from my fiction course to my capstone project. She was there advising, providing feedback, and supporting me throughout it all. Meg pushed me into exploring opportunities and experiences outside my comfort zone, many of which forced me to rise to the challenge and later I would discover would open many doors. This included reading at events put on by the wonderful Artspace36, right in Canandaigua, gracefully hosted by Liz Brownell.

Can you summarize your FLCC experience overall?

FLCC has been a wonderful chapter on my journey. It has allowed me to build life-long friendships and network, making professional connections, as well as strengthen my ever-burning curiosity to learn. While at FLCC, I underwent a metamorphosis of both personal growth in myself and my writing, and I was proud of who I became. My mother told me that once you end a chapter in life, you have to look around and decide whether or not you have accomplished all you can do there. That is how you’ll know you are ready to move on. I felt this way about FLCC when graduation came. I knew I was ready to transfer and begin my next chapter.

What will you be studying at Plattsburgh?

I have decided to major in English with a literary focus on analyzing texts. I’m looking forward to gaining more insight into different perspectives and cultures. I am also considering adding a minor in journalism or philosophy and political thought, as both subjects have interested me in the past.

What future careers are you considering?

I have decided I would like to work as a journalist for National Geographic or National Public Radio (NPR), as a writer who will uncover unseen stories and explore the topics others won’t. Another career choice I have my eye on is working in publishing. At FLCC, I took a literary publishing course where I got to work as an editor for FLCC’s literary magazine, Bare Hill Review.