From the Desk of the EOP director
Dear EOP alumni and friends,
There is something powerful about the way our college journeys begin. What I have learned from spending time with our earliest alumni those admitted to Binghamton in the late 1960s and during our Transitional Year Program (TYP) days before we became the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) in 1968 is also what I see in our current students. Across time, our journeys have always started with grit: young people with potential, drive and little more than a dollar and a dream, stepping onto campus unsure of what comes next.
Our arrival here in Binghamton meant we had to take care of each other. We made sure that our needs were met and our voices were heard. Together, we grew up, organized, created and led student organizations, engaged with the off-campus community, worked for local businesses and even launched some of our own. Each generation of EOP students has built on the courage and conviction of the one before, shaping this program and this University into something resilient, transformative, nurturing and above all, loving.
Love is the connective thread throughout EOP. EOP isnt just a program, its an act of resistance that interrupts a system never designed with our students in mind, not with pity or charity, but with love tangible through structure, high expectations, accountability and relentless support. EOP is justice in action. It is the radical belief that every student deserves access, preparation and a community that sees their brilliance.
This year, Ive thought a lot about what it means to hold steady in uncertain times. Across the nation, higher education is being tested, from the rollback of diversity initiatives to the loss of grant-funded programs that once opened doors for students like ours. While the national climate has shifted, University support of EOP sustains our essential work. Our program is not just surviving, we are thriving.
We are here, rooted, still relevant.
Did you know that our summer program students now earn eight college credits noted on their transcript, before the fall semester begins? Our Binghamton Enrichment Program (BEP) has evolved into more than just a transitional engagement experience. With institutional support, BEP is an academic bootcamp, a crash course in discipline and a gateway to the expectations that come with attending a top-tier university like Binghamton.
EOP counseling is not just advising; its a healing process for those grappling with trauma, confusion and imposter syndrome. BEP study hours are not just rules, they're a framework to build the academic discipline our students were never taught, but deeply need. Tutoring is not just exam practice, but academic coaching, someone saying, I see you, and I believe you can do this. The summer is proof that when love meets structure, transformation and revolution happen.
This newsletter highlights some of the proudest moments from the 20242025 academic year. One of mine was meeting Justin Boyd, son of EOP alumnus and former EOP Director Michael V. Boyd, at the memorial tree dedication in April, hosted by the Upsilon Nu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. It was a powerful moment, my first time meeting Justin a living connection to Michael, whose legacy shaped this program long before I arrived on campus for BEP 1996. *Shout out to my Beppies :)
As we turn our attention to July and prepare to welcome our newest EOP Bearcats, our charge is clear: give them more of what the community gave us. More access. More mentorship. More chances to grow, stumble and rise again. Like you, they will arrive full of promise, searching for a place where they can be challenged, seen and believed in.
Thanks to you, they will find it here, for sure.
Walk boldly,
Karima Legette '01, MA '05
Director, Educational Opportunity Program
any time.