Morgan Burke is proof of the power of P-TECH, and he shared his experiences with students entering the program. "I was in this very room four years ago for a signing day just like you. I graduated from ITC in 2022. I chose the Mechanical Technology path and I just graduated from OCC this past weekend," said Burke, whose words were greeted with a rousing ovation.
Burke was speaking to 117 Syracuse City School District students who came to the Onondaga Community College campus for a P-TECH signing ceremony. The event was held May 22 in the Frederick Marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall.
P-TECH stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School. The program provides high school students the opportunity to work toward their high school diploma and associate degree simultaneously, and ultimately a pathway to an in-demand job.
The students who took part in the signing ceremony will be entering the 11th grade in the fall. Participating schools and the related P-TECH degree programs are:
Henninger High School
- Health Sciences at Onondaga Community College
- Clinical Laboratory Technology at SUNY Broome
Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central (ITC)
- Electrical Technology at Onondaga Community College
- Mechanical Technology at Onondaga Community College
Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler
- Computer Information Systems at Onondaga Community College
- Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems at Mohawk Valley Community College
Other speakers at the event included Syracuse City School District (SCSD) Superintendent Anthony Davis, OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton, SCSD Director of Career and Technical Education Bruno Primerano, and the three high school principals. But it was Burke's words, as a recent graduate, which resonated most with students. Next week he begins an internship with CADimensions in East Syracuse, a manufacturer which combines Computer Aided Design software and 3-D printing to design and engineer parts. Burke plans to take a semester off, then continue his education and pursue bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering.
"The advice I will give you is to please finish the program," said Burke. "Go all the way. Get your associate degree. The best thing about this program is the only thing it costs is time. No money. You are getting a free education here. Take advantage of this opportunity! The staff is extremely helpful throughout the entire process. I always had someone in my corner. I had some amazing professors at OCC. They have a very human spirit and look at you as a human. When you talk to people who go to other universities, you don't hear that too often."
