Onondaga Community College named the top student in each of its degree programs during the Curriculum Honors ceremony April 22 in the SRC Arena. Throughout this week we are highlighting the honorees on our website and social media. Today we recognize the Curriculum Honorees in our School of Health and the School of Liberal Arts.

School of Health

Health Information Technology/Medical Records - Jason Walter

• Jason completed his degree while also working full time. He was a student member of the Central New York Health Information Management Profession, and the American Health Information Management Association. He is preparing for the Registered Health Information Technician exam.

Medical Assistant - Adele Simons

• Adele's pursuit of perfection was evident in all of her academic work and the skills she showed in the lab. She also demonstrated empathy for fellow students. Adele achieved the highest score we have seen for the certification exam.

Nursing - Keila Arencibia-Cespedes

• Keila is a true professional who demonstrated remarkable dedication and motivation to learn and improve throughout her time here. She was also a leader who always helped others, reaching out to mentor newer students in their studies and as a role model in clinical practice.

Physical Therapist Assistant - Esther Lindsay

• Esther is a self-starter who was always on top of her studies and eager to help fellow students while carrying a 4.0 grade point average. She went on mission trips every year since age 12, including a recent medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

Surgical Technology - Amy Correia

• Amy worked full time at a senior living facility while attending classes here. Despite only getting about 4 hours of sleep every night, she was always in good spirits and earning "A's." Amy made time to help and study with other students, and genuinely cared about them succeeding.

School of Liberal Arts

American Sign Language - Cassidy Taylor

• Cassidy enrolled at OCC in 2014, left a year later due to severe health issues and the death of her father, and returned in 2019 "to finish what she started." While living with chronic medical complications, she excelled as a student and an ASL tutor. She is transferring to SUNY Binghamton.

Communication Studies - Roben Ami

• Roben was born and raised in Myanmar and spent three years in a refugee camp before coming to the U.S in 2008. During his time at OCC he was a leader in class, always willing to tackle tough questions, often shared his perspectives, and learned from others."

General Studies - Matthew Winoski

• Matthew gained a new appreciation for education here and became an outstanding student. He had perfect attendance, was always attentive, and actively participated in every single class.

Humanities & Social Sciences - Si Po Ra

• Si Po came to the United States from Burma. She was one of just 45 students in all of New York State to receive an award for displaying academic excellence and strength in overcoming significant personal obstacles in her life.