Five-Minute Feature: Aley O’Mara, Program Associate and Training Coordinator for CAARES

Headshot of Aley O'Mara smiling. They have glasses and partially shaved hair styled in a top bun, and are wearing a dark jacket and a green patterned scarf. The background is gray, framed by a blue graphic design with a torch logo in the top left and the text “Five-Minute Feature” in the bottom right.
Aley O'Mara. Photo by Joseph O'Dea.
Posted On: April 14, 2026

Get to know the Empire State University community through this rapid-fire interview series that bridges professional accomplishments and personal interests. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The unique people behind the work. Five minutes—starting now! 

What led you to your career path? 

I got onto this career path through a series of fortunate events! After graduating with my English Ph.D. in the dodgy job market of 2021, I spent a year working four part-time jobs simultaneously. One of those jobs was with a virtual tutoring organization, where I worked with high school students in home-hospital programs. The role gave me formal experience in directly mentoring and advocating for students with academic accommodations, which was my gateway to becoming the academic success coordinator at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). ESF has a high population of neurodivergent students that I really clicked with as a neurodivergent person myself, and I had the opportunity to develop neuroinclusive programming for students and neuroinclusive training for students and professional employees. Because of these experiences, my role as program associate and training coordinator for CAARES at SUNY Empire absolutely feels like it was meant to be! I love my CAARES team!

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire? 

I am so grateful for the proactive and inclusive approach towards Universal Design that shows up in many ways in the culture at SUNY Empire. I have not found that general understanding at any other institution of higher education that I have had contact with. There is always more work to do towards learning, growing, and shaping systems at any institution, but our work at SUNY Empire starts from a place of greater preparation and appreciation for implementing Universal Design.

What’s one moment in your career you’re especially proud of?

Designing the module for student leaders in the new “Supporting Neurodiversity Across SUNY: A System-Wide Training” has been a big moment for me. Seeing the work I started at SUNY ESF and have continued at SUNY Empire now come full circle at the SUNY System level is really special. I am grateful for the workers and student leaders at SUNY ESF—many of whom are themselves neurodivergent—who enthusiastically took the original training that inspired this module and asked such smart and heartfelt questions. Revisiting that material with my new experience at CAARES to build a practical training that all student leaders across the SUNY system can learn from will, I hope, help more students become confident, competent, and compassionate leaders in supporting more neuroinclusive higher education experiences.

Share a niche skill or talent that you have:

I am apparently good at crocheting cat toys. My partner’s and my cats go wild for the crochet pickle kick toys I make them. Years ago, I crocheted a long black snake for my Halloween costume prop and gave it to my best friend’s cat, who would snuggle with it; today, her current cats love to fall asleep on it. (This is the most important review I’ve ever received!)

What emoji best describes your personality? 

I think the 💯 emoji accurately represents my total lack of chill about anything. I have a really passionate personality, in both my likes and my dislikes—I am even committed to my apathies! Whatever it is, I am in 100%.