Brandon Bell is getting a second chance at a college education and he's making the most of it. "I'm more invested as a student now. I want to go to college and get a degree. I realize what the degree can do for me."
Bell is a 35-year-old student in the Cybersecurity degree program. After…
Brandon Phelps is a busy student. He's working toward two degrees as he pursues his dream of becoming a music teacher, and he's serving the campus community as an RA in the residence hall.
Phelps graduated from Lowville High School in 2020 and spent the first year of college at home…
Brian McDonald needed someone to point him in the right direction. That someone turned out to be Steve White, Director of Onondaga Community College's Office of Veterans and Military Services. McDonald was considering coming back to college last July when he walked into White's office. "He told…
The COVID-19 pandemic inspired Caitlin Wiltsey to pursue a career in the health care industry. "I knew I always wanted to do something in the medical field but didn't know exactly what. Covid solidified it. So many nurses are needed and I'm someone who wants to help people."
Wiltsey came…
2020 has been a year to forget for many, but it's been quite the opposite for Caleb White. In May he completed work toward his Communication Studies degree while being named the top student in the program. Later this year he will become a father for the first time. "I had attended a community…
When Catherine Hadden shares her life story with her thick Georgia accent, you almost expect music to be playing in the background as if you're listening to an old-fashioned country song. Love, marriage, children, grandchildren, divorce, job loss, cancer... her story has it all, including…
Cathy Jarrett had been considering returning to college for years. The 47-year-old mother of two had gone to college earlier in life but never finished, and then marriage and parenting took over. But when she saw the success story of a 40-something mom and friend,…
It's only 6-and-a-half miles from Nottingham High School to Onondaga Community College, but Chance Davis had to leave home before discovering the place where he belonged was in his backyard. After receiving his diploma from Nottingham in June of 2019, Davis departed Syracuse for another…
Cheyenne Sinchico came to the United States from Ecuador with the dream of one day earning her college degree and making a difference in the lives of others. She's on her way to doing that at Onondaga Community College. "I'm grateful for all of the support I've received at OCC because without it…
Chris Cedano Alcala is Student Government President at Onondaga Community College thanks in large part to a life changing stay in his parents home country. "I saw the different way people lived there and it really opened my eyes and my mind. I realized the resources and opportunities we had here…
Christopher Perdue has gotten use to younger students in the Fire Protection Technology degree program calling him 'dad.' ‘It use to drive me nuts but now I think of it as a term of endearment.”
Perdue is a Student Veteran who went from Henninger High School to the United States Navy. He…
It's been three years since Ciara Smith graduated from Syracuse's Henninger High School, enrolled at a four-year school that fall, then decided to take a step back after one semester. "My major was Business but it wasn't something I was really interested in. I think I was trying to rush going to…