When Kierra Yager steps to the podium to address the Class of 2026 at commencement, it will mark a defining moment in her journey. She's been chosen as this year’s student speaker, and she sees the opportunity as more than an honor.
“It feels like every step along my path led me here. Reflecting on my time at OCC, and my education as a whole, helped me understand what it truly means to me. It’s given me the chance to become the person I’ve always wanted to be: someone who helps, guides, and brings light to others facing difficult paths.”
Yager is a member of the Onondaga Nation's Beaver Clan who left high school before later earning her GED. In 2024, she enrolled in OCC’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Residential Pre-Freshman Summer Institute. For five and a half weeks, she lived on campus, took classes, shared meals in the dining hall, and experienced the rhythm of college life before the fall semester began. The program proved transformational. “It was fundamental to everything I did. I came in very shy. EOP helped me break out of my bubble. I didn’t know anything about college - how to make a schedule, how to communicate with a professor. It really helped me step out of my comfort zone.”
With that foundation, Yager flourished. She became an engaged and confident presence in the classroom. “College turned out to be so much different from high school. Here, it’s okay to speak up and participate. I get kind of chatty in class, and it actually helps me retain the information better.”
Her impact extended well beyond academics. Yager worked at the Counseling & Community Care Hub, served as a resident assistant in the residence hall, and led the Native Club as president. She valued the College’s opening of the Indigenous Student Center in Mawhinney Hall. “I felt distant from my heritage for a long time. I’ve always wanted to know more about who I am and where I come from.”
In March, she received the prestigious Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for EOP Student Excellence. McConney devoted his life to expanding access to higher education for underserved populations and helped author the original legislation that established EOP across New York State.
Next month, Yager will become the first member of her family to earn a college degree, and she will do so as the student speaker at commencement. She credits her success to the support she found at OCC and hopes to carry that forward. “I’m incredibly grateful for everything I’ve received here,” she said. “I want to give that same support to others as I continue my education.” Her goal: to become a pediatric clinical psychologist and make a lasting difference in the lives of young people.
