Isabella Behan

“When I toured the college for the first time, I knew it was the right place to continue my education,” said Isabella Behan. 

Isabella was planning to commute to Russell Sage College from her home in nearby Clifton Park, and the opportunities for commuters to participate in campus life really appealed to her. 

She entered Sage’s Academic Exploration program, for first-year students who want a little more time to choose a major. 

As with all Sage’s degree programs, Academic Exploration students have a faculty advisor they can turn to for guidance on what classes to take and majors and career paths that might be a good fit. 

“My experience in the Academic Exploration program has been wonderful,” Isabella said. “Advising meetings with academic advisors and professors have been extremely helpful.”

Isabella found a major that aligned with her personal strengths.

“I’ve always had a passion for art and design,” she said. “When I was thinking about a potential career, I was drawn to interior design.”

During her first semester, she took 2D Studio Techniques — one of the intro classes for Sage’s Interior + Spatial Design program — with Professor Mindy McDaniel. 

“The class taught me how to get out of my design comfort zone and learn a wide range of new skills,” Isabella said. “Professor McDaniel was always there to help and answer any questions.”

By the end of her first semester, Isabella officially became an Interior + Spatial Design major. 

“Some advice I would give for prospective college students who aren’t sure of what they would like to major in would be to explore a few potential fields of study and interests you may have, to get a feel for all the programs and majors out there.”

At Sage, she said, “There is always someone there to answer any questions or concerns you may have.”