How did Caden Engle ’27 know that Paul Smith’s College was the right choice for him?
Caden grew up in Clinton, NY, outside of Utica. “I was outside all the time,” Caden recalls.
Caden loves the outdoors, even the snow and cold. “He was always on the move and always outside,” Chris Engle, Caden’s father, says.
So, it was natural for him to pursue his future to be outside. Caden enrolled in BOCES, to study forestry, at the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison center in New Hartford, NY. It was there that his instructor Phil Lacelle mentioned Paul Smith’s.
“Phil encouraged everyone in the class to pursue a college degree,” Caden says.
Although Lacelle didn’t single out any college—but as a Paul Smith’s College alum himself—it was natural for him to suggest it as a choice for Caden.
Phil took Caden’s class for a visit to Paul Smith’s and Caden decided to check it out and found out that it definitely was the right choice for him.
“I think it’s a good idea if students can “try” college for a day, visit Lake Placid and the area, and, of course, bring their parents. They should be required, once they are students, to bring a student from their hometowns up for a tour, like being a hometown student ambassador,” Caden’s dad, Chris suggests.
“I’d like to start my own business, landscaping, tree service, or something along those lines,” Caden says, “and I want to do it in my hometown of Clinton—I know too many people there to go anyplace else!”
Caden does spend some time indoors, playing defense for the hockey team, but it’s the Adirondack experience he likes the most. “Where else can you go hiking, paddling, and fishing—right in your own backyard [on campus]?” Caden exclaims.