Crystal DeStefano '04 has a never-ending desire to not only achieve, but overachieve. The proof is in her performance: she graduated from Onondaga Community College in less than a calendar year, became the youngest person to be accredited in Public Relations by the Universal Accreditation Board at age 26, bought the business she was working for in 2014 while simultaneously planning her wedding, and was married 11 days after the purchase was completed.
The foundation for her success came at a young age due to an unsettled life at home when her parents separated. "Very early on, I felt a need for control. I saw my mom pull herself up by her bootstraps, work very hard, and provide for us. I started to feel like 'I've got to take care of myself and start thinking about what I can do now to set myself up for success later.'"
A few years after DeStefano's parents separated, she moved to Syracuse with her mother, who was originally from the area. She always dreamed of returning to Boston and, while attending Christian Brothers Academy, received Early Action acceptances to both Boston College and Boston University. She chose Boston University because it was closer to Fenway Park, home of her beloved Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team.
After her freshman year, she realized continuing college there wasn't financially sustainable, and returned home to Syracuse. In the summer of 2003, she enrolled at OCC. DeStefano took 7 classes in each of the two summer sessions, 7 more in the fall semester, and 7 more in the spring semester. In May of 2004, she received her Business Administration degree less than a year after enrolling.
What makes her academic accomplishments even more extraordinary is that SUNY would not accept any of her credits from Boston University. One of the courses she repeated at OCC was a 100-level Accounting class taught by Professor Kitty O'Donnell. DeStefano referred to her as the 'greatest Business professor I ever had,' and her impact would be felt beyond OCC.
Despite being on campus less than a year, and having a heavy course load, she took advantage of opportunities outside class. DeStefano started a Dance Club and tutored fellow students in Business. "I made a lot of friends and had a great experience there. Keywords I think of are: pride, joy, fulfillment, appreciation, gratitude, and hope that other students have the same experience."
After OCC, DeStefano transferred to SUNY Albany because it was the SUNY school closest to Boston and an eventual return home. When she transferred credits there, SUNY Albany would not accept the 100-level Accounting class she took at Boston University and repeated at OCC. So she had to take it a third time at SUNY Albany. "I wound up showing up for the class only four times - on the first day and then for each of the three tests, which I aced and moved on with my life. That's why I say Kitty O'Donnell is the greatest Business professor I ever had."
As DeStefano was completing her Business degree with a concentration in Finance & Marketing, she saw her peers struggling to get entry-level jobs in Albany. "I knew it would be even harder for me to get an entry-level job in Boston because I didn't have the connections of coming out of a Boston school and a Boston alumni network. I decided I would go back to Syracuse for a few years, get some experience, save money, then move back to Boston."
She returned home and landed a position at Strategic Communications, LLC, a consulting firm owned by Michael Meath, a 1987 graduate of OCC. "I consider myself in the top one percent of the luckiest young professionals to have had Michael Meath as my mentor and my boss, whom I interacted with every day," said DeStefano. "I have yet to meet someone who is a better professional mentor than Michael. He had a huge impact on me as a business leader, a professional communicator, as someone who interacts with clients and the community, and just as a human being. I can not say enough about him. I still talk to him to this day."
DeStefano became the Director of Public Relations, and one of her clients was her local alma mater. When OCC's spokesperson went out on maternity leave, DeStefano came to campus three days a week and helped fill in the gaps. "The college, even as a client, played a big role in my staying in Syracuse rather than moving back to Boston."
Five-and-a-half years after she started working at Strategic Communications, DeStefano bought the company. Under her leadership, Strategic Communications now focuses on highly strategic local media relations for proactive "good news" storytelling, media training, and social media to help clients control their narrative and achieve business goals.
In June 2025, she celebrated her 11th year as owner and president of Strategic Communications. With the business firmly established in Syracuse, she launched a successful expansion into West Palm Beach, Florida, in January 2025. She spent the first few months learning the market and asking a lot of questions, and her hard work paid off. "People are reaching out to me. I'm getting referrals to clients who want to talk about proactive PR, crisis communications planning, and media training. We are starting to get work which is really exciting. I intentionally slow rolled this because I wanted to make sure we could uniquely fill a gap in the West Palm Beach market."
While it may have been a feeling of insecurity as a child that originally fueled her work ethic, she's proud of the security she has built for herself and others. "At this point, I'm driven to see how much more I can do for my team, with our business, and my own personal life. I'm always looking for ways to make 1+1=3."
