Ted Mathews never knew growing up he would be a tutor coordinator. His journey to his current position hasn’t been a straight line. It resembles that of a man who learned to fly a plane before he drove a car.Mathews grew up in the Syracuse area and decided to go to college at OCC. One of his…
Bryan Sart’s plan for the future came into focus during a summer night on his back deck. It was 2010 and he was hanging out with his best friend Mike Hutchins, reminiscing about their time working together at Empire Vision in the 1990s. “We were both frustrated with the lack of common sense in the…
It's been a spectacular fall for students in OCC's Chess Club. The outstanding weather has allowed them to take their mind games outdoors throughout the semester. "We started playing outside and we've really enjoyed it," said Chess Club President Connor Burkhart. "As long as it's not raining we…
Chris looks back on photos of herself from ten years ago and sees a stranger. When Chris Kukenberger first came to OCC in 2005, she tried to identify as female. Now, almost 10 years later, Chris identifies as transgender and androgynous. Her journey in the world of gender fluidity has changed OCC…
Michelle Morley remembers a time when she didn’t fully appreciate what higher education could do for her. She had graduated from the Academy of Mt. St. Ursula in the Bronx in 1975. That fall she went to college to study accounting. She quit after one semester and entered the working world. “I…
When Jillann Neely first came to OCC in 1979, the hospitality program didn’t exist. As a budding professional, she was tasked with creating the program from the ground up. Thirty-eight years later, she has accomplished that and so much more, leaving a lasting mark on OCC.
Growing up, Neely was…
Professor Emeritus Ramesh Gaonkar received a pleasant surprise in the mail recently. Gaonkar had retired from OCC in 2010 after spending nearly 40 years teaching Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology. Earlier this year he had applied for a Fulbright Specialist Award. "I wasn't expecting…