Alicia Oberlender has discovered the key to making the most of her time at Onondaga Community College: getting involved in campus life. "In my first semester, I just came to class and went home. I was kind of bored and felt like I was missing something. My second semester I started getting involved in things. I became a member of the ASL (American Sign Language) Club. Shawn (Edie, Director of Student Orientation, Leadership & Engagement) started talking to me about running for student government. The more I got involved, the more I wanted to. It became contagious. I love being involved, being active, having a lot of different things going on, and working with a team."
Since then, her list of activities has grown impressively and includes:
- President of the American Sign Language Club.
- Student Ambassador, giving campus tours to prospective students and their families.
- Member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
- Participant in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program.
- Meg O'Connell Social Justice Scholar.
- SRC Arena concession stand worker for American Food & Vending.
- Student Trustee on OCC's Board of Trustees for the second consecutive year.
"I love being the Student Trustee. I think it's the best position in Student Government. I love going to the meetings, seeing the inner workings of the college, and planning for the future. It's really cool." College leaders were impressed with her performance, and at the end of the last academic year, she received the Pinnacle Award for her contributions to Student Government as the Student Trustee.
When Oberlender arrived at OCC from West Genesee High School, she enrolled in the Mathematics & Science degree program. In her second semester, she joined the ASL Club, enjoyed the experience, and decided to begin working toward an ASL degree as well. She completed her Math & Science degree in the fall of 2024, and is on schedule to complete her ASL degree in the spring of 2026.
During the summer, she served as a Crew Leader with the Micron Chip Camp, which was held on campus. She enjoyed working with young learners so much, she applied to work with a YMCA After School program in the Syracuse City School District. She was hired as a Teaching Assistant, and is working four days a week with the After School program at Van Duyn Elementary.
A year from now, Oberlender plans to study at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, located on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus. "My great uncle was deaf. I grew up around ASL and always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to learn it. Once I took my first ASL course, I fell in love with it." She plans to become an interpreter - and eventually an ASL professor.
