When Younus Alobaidi arrived at Onondaga Community College earlier this month, he brought with him much more than the typical nerves of an incoming freshman. He also carried years of self-doubt, but that changed quickly.
"My grades are amazing. It's the best I've ever done," said Alobaidi, who will begin the fall semester as a Mathematics & Science major. "I'm glad I took this opportunity and showed myself I can do this."
For Alobaidi, the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Summer Institute has been about far more than earning college credit before the semester begins. It's been proof that college is a place where he belongs. "It's been incredible," he said. "As soon as I came here, I had a waterfall of support. It feels like people are here 24/7 to help. Megan and Jenna are always here. (Megan Detor is Interim Director of EOP, Jenna Alexander is Associate Dean of Student Affairs). Megan is here almost every morning, checking up on us. When I'm wondering about where I am going to get stuff printed, or what I am going to do for my class, they help. It's amazing and more than I can ask for. It feels like I'm learning every day."
Alobaidi's path to college wasn't always clear. After immigrating from Iraq with his family in 2015, he grew up in Baldwinsville. During high school, his mother's illness led him to begin working to help support his family. "I decided she can't do everything on her own," he said. "I worked from age 16 through my senior year."
While balancing work and school, he never lost his love of learning. "Even today, I get excited when I learn something new," he said. "The only thing that stopped me was not believing in myself."
Now, he sees a different future. Inspired by the memory of seeing someone in need shortly after arriving in America, Alobaidi hopes to have a career in medicine. "My biggest goal became making a difference. I think I can do that by becoming a doctor."
His experience is exactly what the OCC Educational Opportunity Program is designed to provide. This summer, 80 students are participating in the college's five-week residential Pre-Freshman Institute, a program that helps incoming students make a successful transition to college life. Students live on campus, take college courses, earn college credit, receive tutoring and individualized academic support, and participate in workshops focused on writing, mathematics, study skills, time management, note-taking, effective communication, and preparing for the fall semester.
The program also emphasizes wellness, helping students build resilience and healthy habits as they begin college, while opportunities such as a community Day of Service encourage students to connect classroom learning with meaningful work throughout Central New York.
For Tali Sanchez, the program has also made one daunting milestone much easier: leaving home for the first time. The New York City native graduated from Art & Design High School, where she studied photography. This fall she'll attend OCC before transferring to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to pursue her dream of studying botany. "I want to be able to make medicine out of natural herbs," she said. "There are a lot of artificial things in medicines."
Although she occasionally misses home, Sanchez says the EOP Pre-Freshman Institute has quickly become something she'll never forget. "I'm having a great time here meeting people, hearing where they are from, and learning their stories," she said. "I'm having a great experience." She credits the friendships and support system she's found through EOP for helping her adjust to campus life. "I do have my homesick moments," she said. "But once those feelings go away, my days go back to normal - classes, friends, dorm, and homework."
Sanchez also discovered another side of college through EOP's community service experience. After poor air quality due to wildfires forced a change in plans, she and her classmates spent the day painting at a senior living community. "It was really nice," she said. "The residents would give us compliments. It was really sweet, and they were very funny."
For Sanchez, who first learned about EOP through the Harlem Grown youth organization that has mentored her since she was 13, the experience has been so meaningful that she's already encouraging students back home to consider it. "I've been sending my high school videos and pictures of my experience," she said. "Not a lot of people at my school knew about this EOP program."
Both students say arriving on campus weeks before the fall semester has made them more confident about what comes next. "It takes away a lot of anxiety," Alobaidi said. "All I'll have to do is find my classes and get ready to do the work." Sanchez agrees. "It's a very beneficial thing," she said. "This eases you into college. It puts you ahead in the long run."
