When Joshua Dominguez was a young boy growing up in Washington Heights, the towering cranes and rising steel frames of New York City’s ever-changing skyline captured his imagination. "I marveled at skyscrapers and wondered how people so small could build something so big. I knew in my heart I wanted to be a builder one day."
But the path from wonder to reality wasn’t a straight line. His life was filled with detours, including housing instability, personal struggles, and a college experience that didn’t quite fit. “There was too much going on at the moment,” he said of his first time in community college downstate. “Homelessness, personal issues... the college experience didn’t align with what was going on in my life.”
Now 27, a first-generation college student, and a new father as of July, Dominguez has found fresh momentum in a new place. He and his wife left the city behind and moved upstate to be closer to family and, as he puts it, “get a breath of fresh air.” At Onondaga Community College, he’s finally building a career and a future. "Coming here is probably the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve learned so much. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people. It’s been a nice journey.”
In the fall of 2024, he enrolled in OCC's Construction Management degree program. With a renewed sense of purpose, he threw himself into his studies. When the opportunity came for a summer internship, he embraced it fully. He commuted daily to an internship with the facilities team at SUNY Binghamton. "I looked at it like a miniature boot camp. Waking up every day at 5 a.m. made me a sharper person because I had to do more to fulfill what was expected of me. I took it as a big opportunity to learn."
He returned to the OCC campus with a letter of recommendation from SUNY Binghamton, and shared his experiences during a Student Internship Panel conversation in September hosted by OCC's School of Technology, Engineering & Computing.
During his second academic year, Dominguez is becoming active in the community as a member of the Meg O'Connell Social Justice Scholars program. He's taking advantage of all the opportunities and the environment that surround him. "One thing I love about this college is the diversity. There are all different types of students from all different types of backgrounds, ethnicities, ages groups, and places. Everybody is chasing a dream and trying to become successful. When there are so many people moving in one direction, it makes it easier to move towards that positivity and success.
With his most difficult days behind him and his best days ahead, Dominguez has an impactful saying that he recalls frequently. "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, so we'll call it a present. My past doesn't have to dictate how my future is going to go. Worry about the present, and you can secure a brighter future."
With each class, each project, and each step forward, Dominguez is building his future one brick at a time.
