Meet the Student Ambassadors: Asa Guntert

Hometown: Guilderland, NY

Anticipated Graduation Month/Year: May 2026

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Why did you choose SUNY Poly? The SUNY Transfer Track (Engineering Science to Mechanical Engineering) was really attractive to me. I especially liked that I could attend a college that gave me similar opportunities as a large, research institution with tens of thousands of students at a fraction of the cost and with more personalized interactions.

How would you describe your relationship with your professors? I am very friendly, and I am an active listener. I do my very best to be engaged and don’t hesitate to reach out as needed. My professors really appreciate my attentiveness in class, as well as my willingness to follow up on topics that I don’t understand. Accessing professors during their office hours, or even outside of them, is relatively easy, so getting help has never been an issue for me.

Is there an impactful academic experience during your time at SUNY Poly that stands out to you? I asked my professor for Ordinary Differential Equations (MAT260), Peter Young, if he would be willing to meet with me to go over what I wasn’t understanding, and he was more than willing to help me out!

Have you completed an internship or conducted student research?  If so, please tell us about it. I completed an internship in high school for Automotive Technology working with Metro Ford in Schenectady, NY. I’m excited to use that experience, plus my education, to find a new and exciting college-level internship this summer!

Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? I am involved with the Wildcat Motorsports (Baja) Club as an event planner and Student Government at Utica (SGU) as a Junior Senator. I was an Orientation Advisor for the 2023 first year class.

Are you a recipient of an academic or alumni scholarship from the SUNY Poly Alumni Association? I’m a recipient of our Transfer Achievement Scholarship for transferring into SUNY Poly with a +3.0 GPA.

What has been your favorite class at SUNY Poly so far? So far, my favorite class has been COM 306, Report Writing and Technical Communication, with Alyssa Steele. The class was very informative and engaging. I used some of the skills learned in that class to get a summer job!

Best experience (academic or campus life) at SUNY Poly so far? The Gala held in Spring 2023 was a surreal experience, but the SUNY SA Spring conference was an amazing experience given to me by SGU.

After you graduate, what will you miss most about your time here at SUNY Poly? When it’s time for me to leave SUNY Poly, I’ll miss seeing all of the people I know on a daily basis and having the ability to just be myself around people who appreciate me.