Every Friday during the fall semester, our "Start Here, Anytime" series will spotlight an adult learner who chose to come to Onondaga Community College to pursue new opportunities, new goals, and a new chapter in life. Today, meet MacIntyre Gorham.
MacIntyre Gorham starts his mornings by running. His favorite part is running up hills. They're hard, and that's part of the appeal he learned to appreciate over the summer. "It gets me to the runner's high quicker with the endorphin boost, which helps me throughout the day. I think it's a helpful analogy for a lot of things."
His college journey has had its share of hills. Eight years after graduating from Baldwinsville High School, Gorham has attended two four-year colleges, discovered that he has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and found a home at OCC. Today, he is a Humanities and Social Sciences major on track to graduate next spring. He is one of this year’s Meg O’Connell Social Justice Scholars, past president of the Philosophy Club, and the Student Trustee on OCC’s Board of Trustees. But the titles and accomplishments tell only part of his story.
When Gorham arrived on campus, he thought it would be little more than a stop along the way. “I came to OCC expecting to finish my classes and go to a four-year college.” Then he started getting involved. Membership in the Philosophy Club helped Gorham see that college could be about more than completing classes and earning credits. “Being part of a club helped me realize I could be a part of Student Government, and be part of Meg O’Connell."
One opportunity led to another. And with each one, Gorham began to see himself differently. Another turning point came when he was diagnosed with ADHD. Understanding more about how he learns and functions helped him make sense of some of the challenges he had encountered along the way. Support from OCC's Office of Accessibility Resources, including test-taking services, became an important part of his success. The experience also shaped the way Gorham thinks about mental health. He has become an advocate for more open conversations around mental health, while recognizing that those conversations require context, care, and the right timing.
That growing self-awareness has become one of the most important things Gorham has taken from his time at OCC. Next spring, he will complete his degree and transfer to a four-year college. But this time, he’ll make that next move with something he didn’t have when he started: a much better understanding of who he is, how he learns, and what he is capable of accomplishing. He’s grateful for his two years at OCC and the opportunity it has given him to grow - academically, personally, and as a leader. "I feel like I'm hitting my stride. Colleges in general are a place for people to work on themselves. Community colleges, especially OCC because we have so many resources, are like a workshop for different parts of you that you want to develop. You can never start too early with that.”
