Like many college students approaching graduation, Gracey Trabold wasn't sure what direction her career would take. She's a senior at SUNY Oswego who will complete her Business Administration degree next May. But one experience helped everything click into place.
During the fall 2025 semester, she did an internship with the North Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC), made possible through a partnership with SUNY Oswego's Office of Experiential Learning and SUNY Oswego Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations (OWIER) at 34 E. Bridge Street in Oswego, NY. OWIER strategically and collaboratively shares office space at 34 E. Bridge Street with the North Central SBDC, along with the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, to help provide Oswego County residents access to an SBDC advisor. "I loved it. It taught me a lot about time management. I loved this internship so much, it made me realize I wanted to pursue a career in marketing," said Trabold.
The Oswego OWIER office space is also shared with CenterState CEO's Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce staff members, and with SUNY Oswego staff supporting the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Oswego County - creating a hub for collaboration between high-impact community-center organizations.
Trabold's internship connected her with Michele Baran and Kellie Greene of the North Central SBDC. Greene quickly recognized Trabold's strengths. "Gracey is great. She's super smart. She's very detailed. I have been blessed to work with some great interns from SUNY Oswego."
Throughout the semester, Trabold worked with four clients - each with very different needs - developing customized marketing plans for their businesses. “She was fantastic,” Greene added. “Very professional, very good at talking to people, and she delivered strong presentations. She has a real talent for marketing.”
The partnership between OCC and SUNY Oswego, which makes these paid experiential learning opportunities possible with funding from the SUNY Oswego Impact Internship Fund, continues to be a win-win for both students and the local business community. “I love working with the students,” Greene said. “Practical application is extremely valuable. Experiences like this help students discover what they want to do and give them real-world tools and insight. Gracey now has something meaningful for her résumé that will help launch her career.”
Trabold's success story highlights another impactful year for the North Central SBDC, which is hosted by Onondaga Community College in Syracuse and Jefferson Community College in Watertown. During the year, the organization recorded a record number of new business starts, and was the second busiest SBDC in all of New York State in terms of inquiries and clients served. "We're so proud of all of the valuable work our amazing professionals do on behalf of our clients," said Bob Griffin, CEPA, North Central SBDC Regional Director. "Seeing our clients succeed is truly rewarding for us."
The North Central SBDC offers no-cost, confidential advisement services tailored to every stage of the business journey - from pre-venture planning to succession strategies. You can contact the office by phone at 315.498.6070, or by email at sbdc@sunyocc.edu.
To learn more about the SUNY Oswego Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations, visit www.oswego.edu/owier. Any organization interested in developing an internship partnership with SUNY Oswego is encouraged to contact the university's Office of Experiential Learning directly at experience@oswego.edu or 315.312.2151.
