I’m a senior full time student from a small town called Greene, NY, about 3 hours south from here (near Binghamton). Binghamton is a rust-belt relic that has suffered from declining population and a poor economy over the past few decades, but recently has seen a revival thanks to business incentive programs and the growth of Binghamton University. Greene is about 20 miles north of Binghamton and has a population of ~5,000. Greene is nicer than many similar rural villages located nearby thanks to the presence of the Raymond Corporation, which employs more than ~1,000 people. Raymond, a subsidiary of Toyota that leads the forklift industry, has been headquartered in Greene since its formation in 1840. Greene’s school system usually yields 70-90 students per grade (my class had 76), has pretty decent average test scores for a small school but doesn’t offer AP courses – which can make applying for colleges difficult. Luckily, I ended up getting into U of R and will be graduating in May.
Michael Anderson
