When Quri Conrow Blakes walks across the stage at graduation tomorrow, she won't just be receiving her associate degree in Human Services. She'll also be celebrating resilience, faith, and a dream years in the making.
Her journey has included challenges that have shaped her calling to help others. After spending years in the foster care system, she was adopted four years ago. Her time in foster care drove her desire to become a social worker. "I've known from a young age that I want to help people. The foster system is very corrupt. A lot of youth need proper guidance they just aren't getting. We are change! If we are able to help and be ethical, we will."
Originally from the Bronx, Conrow Blakes graduated from high school in 2023 ahead of schedule. "I knew I wanted to graduate a year early, so I took extra classes and even night classes. There was a lot of determination behind it all."
That same determination brought her to Onondaga Community College in the fall of 2023. Her parents encouraged her to look at colleges outside their area, and a campus visit helped make the decision. "It's small, it's diverse. I liked that. I decided I would start here. I like OCC even though it's far from home. It helps me narrow down where I want to go next."
At OCC, she found not only an education, but a community. She's active in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP), two programs that helped her thrive academically and personally. "When I started here I was homesick. My GPA was a 1-something. Last spring, it jumped all of the way up to a 3.5 something. Having the right support is very important. It takes a village. I have a good support system - EOP, C-STEP - they make sure everyone is okay and doing well in school."
She also found mentors who made OCC feel like home. "I come to EOP and C-STEP a lot. I like to go to Shannon's (Nolan, Assistant Director of Early College Pathways) office and spend time with my absolute favorite professor, Cara Harris (Human Services). I hang with her, do some schoolwork, lock in, and get things done."
As she considers where she will transfer to next, Conrow Blakes is also ready to savor the moment of walking across the stage at graduation. "This means a lot. In our entire family, only my older sister has graduated from college. The journey isn't over for me. I still have bachelor's and master's degrees to get. It has to happen!"
