Dominic Stanz '25
Cum Laude
BA Economics, BS Human Evolutionary Biology 

On Stony Brook: 
Being a NYS resident, I wanted to look for in-state opportunities to follow my passions at a higher level with respect to a myriad of criteria, and Stony Brook was a fantastic place that I began to fall in love with the more I got to learn about the school. I felt that I could wholeheartedly see myself thrive in an atmosphere that fostered academic achievement, personal growth, and professional development, and I am happy with my choice to come here.

The opportunities that were within my reach here made this school a valuable choice when I was choosing where to attend college. One of the main reasons that I chose Stony Brook is that the community is so robust and filled with connections, and I wanted to jump in and become a member of that network of individuals!

On his major: 
Essentially, I came into Stony Brook not knowing exactly what I wanted to do in my post-grad endeavors, and I explored my passions through internships, work experience, and courses to flesh out my decision to double major in these two areas. At their cores, both Economics and Human Evolutionary Biology are social sciences that examine our behaviors as humans and translate the choices we make into measurable outcomes. Economics explores our deliberations that go into trading, capital building, and financial considerations, and allows me to be very meticulous and analytical. Human Evolutionary Biology explores the accrued differences between humans and our closest common ancestors in order to understand how behaviors such as bipedalism, language, and survival skills have allowed us to come so far over our evolutionary history, and so I am able to think both quantitatively and qualitatively to explore Anthropology in a similar manner that I study Economics. 

Favorite class:
EBH 359 - Behavioral Ecology with Dr. Catherine Markham was probably my favorite class here at Stony Brook. I felt that it was extremely interesting and kept me engaged throughout the entire semester, and Dr. Markham’s teaching style is so enjoyable, she is easily one of the best professors at Stony Brook. If you are lucky enough to take a class with Dr. Markham, you will love it!

Interests and accomplishments:

College of Arts and Sciences - Dean’s Student Leadership and Advisory Council, four years

Honors College Commencement Speaker

Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta - Men’s Varsity 4+ - 1st Place

Conference Presenter Invitee:

- SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference

- Stony Brook Economics Undergraduate/Pre Graduate Research Conference

Favorite SBU memory:
I will never forget my Resident Assistant training week during Summer 2024, that week was so unforgettable for a number of reasons. I made so many new friends and got to experience an entirely new environment at Stony Brook, and then the week concluded with a large rainstorm that flooded my residence hall and forced me and all of the residents to be moved around campus. Nothing like going out with a bang. I have loved my RA experience at Stony Brook very much, and it has been memorable right from the start. 

Advice for future Seawolves:
I would encourage everyone coming to Stony Brook to embrace that change is inevitable and that it is going to lead you to positive places as long as you reflect and persevere. I cannot imagine telling my incoming freshman self all of the things that I have done here at Stony Brook, both academically and experientially, and I would not be in the position I am today without being receptive to unpredictable changes and keeping it pushing. Go to that random club meeting, sit with someone new at the dining hall, email that professor, submit that application; whatever it is, change will come to you and you should not be fearful of letting yourself gain new experiences. In a similar vein, for your own professional development, I learned a valuable lesson during my time at Stony Brook: even if there is not a sale being made, you always have to sell yourself. Regardless of your skillset, fears, hesitations, or doubts, you just have to believe in yourself 100% and know that having agency within yourself is going to truly take you far beyond.