Three OCC Family Members Honored For Their Service

Three distinguished members of the Onondaga Community College family were recognized for their service to the college and the community at the annual meeting of the New York Community College Trustees.

The honorees and the awards they received were:

Melanie Littlejohn - 2026 Alice Holloway Young Award for Distinguished Service by a Retired Trustee

• Distinguished member of Onondaga Community College's Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2024, and OCC Foundation Board of Directors from 2003-2009.
• Named President & CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation in 2024.
• Held leadership positions at Niagara Mohawk, and then National Grid from 2001 to 2024.

Sam Rowser '86 - Friend of Community College Award

• Executive Director, OnPoint for College where he is a trusted mentor to first-generation college students.
• Worked at OCC as an Admission Counselor for more than a decade, and at the Southwest Community Center as a Career Development Specialist, before transitioning to OnPoint for College.
• United States Marine Corps Veteran.

Karinda Shanes '98 - Distinguished Alumni Award for Civic Contribution

• Regional Director of Hillside Work Scholarship since 2019, where she leads an organization dedicated to helping students succeed at home, school, and work. She also serves on OCC's Foundation Board of Directors.
• Her decades of work assisting students includes service at Catholic Charities and Contact Community Services.
• Karina, along with her husband and their four sons, are all OCC Alumni.

The honorees were recognized at a conference in Saratoga Springs September 18.