Life in the United States is a gift Noel Ponthuit gets to enjoy every day. He's a native of the Congo who lost his father at age 2, and spent 20 years in a Rwandan refugee camp before immigrating to America. "I had a dream. I wanted to go to the U.S. We had been dreaming about being here since I…
On Saturday May 15 Nor Rizek is expected to become the first student in Onondaga Community College history to earn her degree here AFTER receiving her bachelor's degree from Harvard University. "It was super important to me to come back here and finish what I started. I went through a rough…
Nya Williams is going to be in charge of something one day. She might be a leader in the world of computers, or she may open her own sneaker store. "I'm a 'sneakerhead.' I buy, sell, and collect exclusive sneakers. My cousin is a sneakerhead too. We really believe we can open up our own…
Major: Hospitality Management
Battery Creek in Beaufort, SC, class of 2017
Nyjee Rivers began finding her support system at OCC before she ever set foot on campus. After graduating high school she took advantage of a scholarship opportunity and attended a 6-month boot camp at the Culinary…
Oliver Greer still has vivid memories of the first time he saw Onondaga Community College and the surrounding area. The native of Newtownards, Northern Ireland had seen New York City but never traveled upstate. "I remember riding up Onondaga Hill and seeing all of the houses and thinking it was…
Olivia Ramirez found out about Onondaga Community College's Broadcast Media Communications degree program by chance, and she's glad she did. She was working at a local financial firm, Pinnacle Investments, when a video crew from…
Major: Early Childhood
High School: Central Square, class of 2018
Paris Graziano has always been a leader. Becoming President of OCC's Student Government was the logical next step for her. She represented students while attending Central Square High School and continued doing so last year…
If you stroll into the Automotive Technology lab on the first floor of the Whitney Applied Technology Center, there's a pretty good chance you will find Patrick Emdee there tinkering with something. "I'm enjoying every minute of being here. I like working with my hands and thinking with my mind…
What do you like to do in your spare time? Before Phil Impaglia became a student at Onondaga Community College, he had a unique pastime. "I enjoyed History as a hobby. I got to a point where I was writing research papers for fun as I read about history because I enjoy writing. A friend of mine…
If you were just an average student in high school, it's possible to become an excellent student in college. That's what happened to Ralph Smith. When he came to Onondaga Community College one year ago after graduating from Cicero-North Syracuse High School, he committed to being better. "I made…
Rashedul Alam was a high school Physics teacher in Bangladesh when he decided to move to the United States. After his wife earned a Biology degree from OCC, he enrolled in the College's Engineering Science degree program in 2018.
During his two years on campus he earned a nearly…
Major: General Studies
Home schooled from Oswego
Rebekah MacLean's life experiences have her on a path to a career assisting others. "When I was a junior in high school I became more and more interested in psychology. I was in therapy for a number of years and it really inspired me to…