Sometimes life’s plans need a change in order to go smoothly. For Emmanuel Agyapong ’18, that meant leaving the nursing program at Buffalo State College to enroll in the health education and wellness management program at SUNY Oswego. The change enabled him to study physical therapy–a subject that allowed him to combine his passion for fitness with his interest in helping others–and as a result, he found success inside and outside the classroom. Agyapong founded the African-American Males Empowering Network (AAMEN) at SUNY Oswego to uplift young black men on campus. Modeled after a student organization he discovered at Buffalo, the club participated in such activities as holding a career development event with Target, organizing a Halloween skate, hosting a poet and connecting with community business owners, among others. He remains interested in the organization and delivered the keynote address to current members during the AAMEN Black Excellence Ball on Nov. 12 in The Space on the SUNY Oswego campus. In his remarks, he explained why he decided to found AAMEN at Oswego. “Even though I felt empowered by the mentors and people I surrounded myself with, some black men in college did not have that opportunity,” he said. “They did not have the opportunity to network and find the right individuals to empower them to be confident, to take control of their own lives,” Agyapong said in his speech. Among the people who supported Agyapong at Oswego was his advisor Dr. Sandra Bargainnier, a professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness. “She was pivotal in my life, and I think that was the best thing about the wellness management program to me, not so much the courses but rather the person I met who really helped my trajectory to be where I am today,” Agyapong said. For example, she encouraged him to shadow at his now current job with Robert Berkley Physical Therapy in Oswego.
After graduating, Agyapong took a gap year and did a volunteership with Dr. Berkley, who quickly became a mentor and encouraged him to apply to Daemen University to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy. He did and committed himself fully to becoming a physical therapist. “I would literally wake up at 5 in the morning to exercise, then we had classes at 8…first year we didn't end class until maybe 5 o’clock and then from 5 to 10 o’clock I was studying,” Agyapong said. The hard work paid off and he graduated with a 3.8 GPA from Daemen. “When Dr. Agyapong started as a volunteer student in my office in 2017, I saw a hard worker who wanted to succeed,” Dr. Berkley said. “He continued to bring that excitement and energy into his first rotation at my office. Then he continued to work very hard to become a DPT. These are all qualities I saw in myself 30 years ago when I started my career.” Agyapong loves his current job in physical therapy, and considers Dr. Berkley to be a key mentor to him. “Second to my dad, he’s one of the biggest motivational people that I know," Agyapong said. “He keeps me grounded. Honestly, he pushes me everyday to be better.” Agyapong likes being able to identify problems and help individuals get better. In addition to his work with Dr. Berkley, he recently started his own side business called The EAxperience, which offers online fitness programs through an app as well as in-person trainings. In the future, Agyapong hopes to assist young athletes in high school and college in developing their skills and performance. He also wants to own his own practice one day. In the meantime, he continues to make a positive impact where he can. In addition to his AAMEN speaking role, he returned to campus in September to speak with STEM students, and especially black male students, and to share his experience and inspire them to push through adversity. “I’m excited to meet all types of people to show that it’s possible to succeed,” Agyapong said.
~ Sarah Skibickyj '23