When Amanuel Yohannes came to the United States from Ethiopia three years ago, the North Side Learning Center was where he felt most comfortable. "They helped me prepare for school. They had internet, wifi, and good places to study. I had learned English in Ethiopia but was not good at…
Amya Graves is so passionate about wanting to work in Tokyo one day as an illustrator she taught herself Japanese. "I bought books and watched videos on YouTube. It took me about 5 years." Her inspiration is Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and artist who is considered to be…
Andrew Coleman was an outstanding high school student until Covid happened and in-person learning stopped. "I went from having a routine to being in isolation, and having no outreach with my teachers, friends, or sports. I lost all of my motivation to do school work."
Halfway through his…
Angel Gonzalez has returned to the area he once called home and has found his groove on the Onondaga Community College campus. "Before, I never really felt like I was part of the Syracuse community. Being involved at OCC has impacted me in such a way I now know this really is home."
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Major: Mathematics & Science
High School: West Genesee, class of 2018
Anna Gonchar has always known she wanted a career in a field related to the environment. “I grew up four miles away from Onondaga Lake and heard stories about how heavily polluted it was. I was naturally curious to…
Anthony Mancini decided to run for Student Government President so he could help make a difference in campus life. He was elected and is now in his first semester leading the student body. "I want to be a voice for the students. I want to hear from them and promote their concerns and ideas and…
The opportunity to play collegiate tennis brought Arthur Olifant from his hometown of Brest, France to the Onondaga Community College campus. Even though the tennis season didn't happen due to COVID-19, he's figured out what he wants to do for the rest of his life and is ready to work hard to…
Degree Program: American Sign Language
High School: Henninger, class of 2017
Augustine was born and raised in a refugee camp in Thailand. It was the only life she ever knew until she came to the United States in 2011. She graduated from Henninger High School in 2017, then enrolled in OCC's…
Barbara and Tanisha Wiggins are about to reach the finish line together. This semester the mother and daughter duo will complete their Human Services degrees and walk the stage together at Onondaga Community College's December graduation ceremony. "I'll probably start crying," said Barbara…
Ben Fechtner always had an idea what he wanted to do, but it wasn't until he arrived at Onondaga Community College that his dreams came into focus. "I never really felt I fit into traditional education systems. I thought I could come to OCC and dip my toe in college a little bit."
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Bianca Gascon's junior and senior years at Baldwinsville High School were anything but normal due to Covid. So after receiving her diploma in 2021, she decided to wait a year before starting college. Throughout the course of her gap year, she learned she had made the right choice. "After taking…
Bianca Teixeira has overcome significant challenges to be here. She's a cancer survivor who became addicted to pain medication. She was raised by her grandfather, a war veteran who struggled with his own substance abuse issues. Today she's in remission, two years sober, on her way to completing…