Student Spotlight: Jasie Buzzell

When Jasie Buzzell began working at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), she found something she hadn’t expected: a calling.

“Sometimes you have to dabble in a few areas before you find your passion,” Buzzell said. “When I started working at OPWDD, I knew that despite occasional challenges, there is joy. One of my favorite quotes is, ‘You have to ride the rocky waves before you hit calm waters,’ and this is so true.”

A Washingtonville resident and Monroe-Woodbury High School graduate, Buzzell returned to school in 2023 as an adult student. Balancing a full-time job, family responsibilities, and her role as a wife and mother of two, she enrolled at SUNY Orange to pursue a degree in human services.

Her commitment quickly caught the attention of the Behavioral Sciences Department faculty. After class one day, Human Services Coordinator Nolly Climes asked Buzzell to stay and talk about her future.

“I met Jasie in my Intro to Human Services class,” Climes said. “She introduced herself as a Direct Support Professional, so I was eager to discuss her potential in the DSP microcredential program.”

SUNY Orange offers stackable microcredentials in DSP I and DSP II. These short, skills-based credentials provide in-demand training while also serving as a stepping-stone toward a certificate or degree. Buzzell was the first student to complete both microcredentials and earn the corresponding competency badges from the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.

“She has excelled while completing her associate degree in human services,” Climes said. “She stands out as bright and passionate about supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with inspiring dedication.”

Buzzell also completed Climes’ Intro to Counseling course. When the opportunity arose to hire a tutor with field experience, he said she was the perfect choice.

“We look forward to her supporting her colleagues in this new role and are confident she will continue to excel,” Climes said.

Buzzell credits Climes with being a steady presence throughout her time at SUNY Orange. “Nolly has played a big part in my journey,” she said. “He has been my professor, academic advisor, supervisor, colleague and overall guide. It feels like we are a team.”

On May 30, Buzzell was one of two students selected to speak at the college’s DSP Microcredential Completion Ceremony, held in the Rowley Center for Science and Engineering on the Middletown campus.

“We are celebrating something powerful: the hard work, growth and resilience it took each of us to reach this milestone,” she told her fellow students. She also expressed gratitude to OPWDD for recognizing the importance of education and investing in its staff.

Buzzell is a first-generation college student, the first student to complete both DSP I and II, a Phi Theta Kappa member, and maintains a 3.67 GPA. She is on track to graduate in the Fall with an associate’s degree in human services. She plans to transfer to SUNY Brockport to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work.

For more about SUNY Orange’s DSP microcredentials, log onto sunyorange.edu/microcredentials. For information about the college’s human services degree program, call (845) 341-4030 or email apply@sunyorange.edu.