Gio Harvey

Giovanni “Gio” Harvey first came to On Point for College in 2017, shortly before graduating from Proctor High School. That fall, he was preparing to begin at Fulton-Montgomery Community College when getting to campus presented an unexpected obstacle. With only about $25 to his name and no transportation, Gio looked to On Point for help. An On Point volunteer picked up Gio and his belongings and drove him to Johnstown so he could begin college. Years later, Gio recalled that the ride “made all the difference.”

It would not be the last time On Point helped Gio along the way. As a first-generation college student, he was navigating an unfamiliar system. “On Point stepped in when I didn’t know how to take the next step,” Gio recalled. Already interested in government and public service, Gio turned that interest into early professional experience with On Point’s help. On Point helped him secure two internships with New York State Assemblymember Brian Miller and provided the professional clothing he needed for the internship.

After earning his associate degree in 2019, Gio transferred to SUNY Polytechnic Institute to study communication and information design. There, he became deeply involved in student government, eventually serving as president of the Student Government Association. He also worked as a resident assistant and EOP peer mentor and, drawing on his own experience in SUNY’s Educational Opportunity Program, developed the idea for a statewide network of EOP Student Ambassadors. SUNY adopted Gio’s proposal and launched the program across the university system in 2021.

For Gio, student leadership was about more than holding a title. He wanted to create a more inclusive campus, make sure students felt heard and help them find their voices. At the same time, Gio continued building his professional experience. Through On Point’s Career Services connections, he secured a paid communications internship with The Fountainhead Group, where he supported community outreach and communications.

After graduating from SUNY Poly in 2023, Gio enrolled in a master’s program at the University at Albany, focusing on political communication. The following spring, years of student leadership took him to the statewide level when he was elected president of the SUNY Student Assembly and became the student member of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Over the next year, Gio traveled across New York, meeting with student leaders and representing students throughout SUNY’s 64 campuses.

In April 2025, the SUNY Board of Trustees formally recognized Gio for his service as Student Assembly president and student trustee. The following month, he graduated from UAlbany with his master’s degree. Soon afterward, Gio took the next step in a career he had been working toward for years, joining the administration of New York Governor Kathy Hochul as a press assistant.

Even as his own career has grown, Gio has continued his relationship with On Point, returning as an event host, speaker and alumni ambassador. He has described sharing the accomplishments of On Point students and alumni as a way of showing other students what is possible: “I want other students to see our stories and think, ‘That could be me.’”

From needing help getting to his first college campus to representing students across New York, Gio has come a long way since joining On Point. Along the way, he earned three degrees, found his own voice as a student leader and built a career in public service. Now, he is using that experience to encourage other students to find their voices, too.