When MacIntyre Gorham returns to campus for the fall semester, he will do so with a new title - Student Trustee on Onondaga Community College's Board of Trustees. "I'm good at translating thoughts between different groups, and generational translating is important. I want to tell the trustees in a way they can understand what students are having trouble with, and I want to be able to explain to students why trustees make certain decisions. I want to be that bridge of communication - give people facts they can respond to."
Gorham is a 2018 graduate of Baldwinsville High School who has quickly emerged as a thoughtful leader on campus. A Humanities & Social Sciences major who began classes at OCC in the fall of 2025, he currently serves as President of the Philosophy Club, and was recently recognized with a Pinnacle Award from the Office of Accessibility Resources.
His path to OCC was not a straight line. After high school, Gorham enrolled in a four-year school out of state, but returned home when the COVID-19 pandemic shifted learning to a virtual format. Following the pandemic, he tried another four-year school until finances became too big a hurdle to overcome.
When he decided to resume his education, OCC was the most economical choice - but it didn’t take long for the experience to exceed expectations. “Originally I chose OCC for financial reasons. When I started telling people I was going to go to OCC, everything I heard was people telling me, ‘Oh, you're going to love it!’ There’s definitely a stigma around community college, but I’m happy to say this is the best college I’ve ever been to.”
Gorham has also been open about the personal challenges that have shaped his journey. He was first diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 2016, later misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, and only recently received an ADHD diagnosis - something he says has helped him better understand how he learns and functions. Support from OCC’s Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) has played an important role in his success thanks to its test taking services.
He’s also become an advocate for open conversations around mental health, while recognizing the importance of context and timing. “You, the individual suffering, benefit from getting it out and talking about it. If you're willing to open that space, a lot of people will follow. After COVID, everyone wants to get back to community and socializing, but because we spent so long apart, especially in formative years, it can be hard to take that first step. I enjoy talking about it. The more you do it, the easier it gets. It’s reciprocal.”
That sense of connection and purpose is part of why Gorham has chosen to extend his time at OCC. Though he could graduate a semester early, he now plans to complete his degree in May 2027. “I realized I’m really enjoying it here. I have so much to offer, I’m making a positive impact, so why rush?”
His academic passion centers on philosophy, a field he sees not as abstract, but deeply practical. “Philosophy is something everyone does, but we don’t always name it philosophy. If you're making decisions, thinking about thinking, or trying to clarify something - that’s philosophy. Part of my love of it is recognizing it when it doesn’t get labeled that way.”
He credits philosophy with helping him develop both self-understanding and forward momentum. “It helped me create reasons to give myself grace and focus on what’s necessary. But eventually you realize you don’t need a philosophical argument for that, and that’s a philosophy in itself. It gives you new angles to make progress toward any goal.”
Looking ahead, Gorham hopes to build a career in academia as a teacher, writer, and innovator. “I want to write, publish, and contribute to the field. I also want to help create a new academic structure that isn’t so rigid. The system we’re in can feel outdated. We still rely heavily on lectures and readings, which work sometimes, but not always. I’d like to help develop a pedagogy for making your own pedagogy - a systematic way to take from everything and create an approach that works for you.”
His new role as Student Trustee will give him insight into how those systems function at an institutional level, something he sees as invaluable preparation. He credits outgoing Student Trustee Alicia Oberlender with helping him understand the scope and impact of the position. “Alicia has been so helpful. Everyone calls her ‘Wonder Woman’ because she takes on so much. She says the Trustee position is so good because you learn how the college functions.”
That perspective is exactly what Gorham hopes to gain and share. “My plan is to one day contribute to academic structures and the ways of teaching. This will be a very valuable lens to see through.”
