Meet the December Graduation Student Speaker

Abigail Webster has mixed emotions about completing her Onondaga Community College degree. She's excited to finally achieve the milestone 12 years after graduating from West Genesee High School, but not ready to leave a place that has meant so much to her. "I really enjoyed it here. I loved it a lot in a way that surprised me. I'm quite sad about being done. I was trying to figure out ways I could stay longer."

Webster will be the student speaker at OCC's upcoming graduation ceremony, December 16 at 5 p.m. in the SRC Arena. One of the topics she knows she will address in her remarks is the importance of community, and its presence on campus. "One of the ways we feel grounded and reorient ourselves to what is actually real in the world is finding community. Community is literally in Onondaga Community College's name, and being part of a community is so incredibly powerful and good for us."

During her two years at OCC, she's felt that feeling of community in all corners of campus. "Everybody seems to really enjoy being here and being part of this community. We are a group of people with a shared goal who want to be in the same space, which feels kind of magical to me."

Webster plans to take her Communication Studies degree to SUNY Empire where she will major in Public Affairs, followed by a graduate degree in Public Administration. Her commitment to serving others is evident in her roles with American Medical Response of CNY, the Syracuse VA Medical Center, and CineMedics CNY, a mobile COVID-19 testing organization. She aspires to work for a local municipality or non-profit, where she hopes to make a meaningful and lasting impact in her community.