Shyann Shaw is determined to be the change in her community. Her biggest fan is also her favorite Onondaga Community College Professor, Pete Patnode. "He motivates me. He says 'my money's on you. I have a lot of faith in you!'"
Professor Patnode teaches in the Criminal Justice degree…
Siobhan (pronounced shi-VON) Young's success is all the more remarkable when you consider what it's taken her to get to this point. Today she is a high-achieving student who is a semester away from earning her Business Administration degree, a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, a math…
A conversation with a friend introduced Skylor Kelley to the possibility of enrolling in the P-TECH program. "My neighbor was in it and told me about it. I decided to apply, interviewed, and figured why not do it as an alternate way of high school. It's turned out pretty nice."
P-TECH…
Major: General Studies
High School: Baldwinsville, class of 2019
Sunday Joshua has had a remarkable journey around the world. He's a refugee from Lagos, Nigeria who arrived in the United States in 2017 as winter was beginning. "I remember being so cold. I had never been so cold in my life.…
A family piano handed down from generation to generation has helped create the soundtrack of Susanna Southwick's life. Most of the 11 children who grew up in the Southwick's southern Onondaga County home played that piano at one time or another. Southwick remembers her mother noticing her…
Sylvia Parsons was pretty sure college wasn't for her. She's a member of the Onondaga Nation who came to Onondaga Community College right after graduating from Jamesville-Dewitt High School but didn't stay long. "I didn't know what I wanted to do. I had just lost a grandparent. It was a really…
T Nguyen has traveled halfway around the world to earn the first of what she hopes will be three college degrees. She'll complete the first leg of her journey in May when she receives her Mathematics & Science degree from Onondaga Community College. "I feel lucky to be here. So many…
Tevin Martin is a 30-year-old student who is pursuing two degrees and is extremely active in clubs and organizations. "I have a long way to go and OCC is a great place for me to become the student I need to be. I have a much clearer sense of who I am, what I'm doing here, and what it takes…
You think 2020 has been an interesting year for you? Consider what Thanh Nguyen has experienced. In January she left her home in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam to come to Onondaga Community College. By mid-March, all classes became virtual due to COVID-19. "When I was in Vietnam I was involved in many…
Thanh Nguyen's final semester at Onondaga Community College is going much better than her first. "Everything is good. My professors, my success coach, and my advisor have all been very helpful. And there are a lot of resources here for students we are trying to promote in Student Government."…
Farah, Mohamad, and Yasmine Chatila are used to doing things together. They are 19-year-old triplets who share life events like birthdays and graduation ceremonies. On the night of October 25 they celebrated another milestone together when they were sworn into Onondaga Community College's…
One year ago at this time, Thuw J-Elmi was just beginning her journey at Onondaga Community College. She had come here from the Chicago area, spent the previous year taking classes at home because of Covid, and didn't know anyone on campus.
Early in her first semester she decided to take…