Emilee Durkin had every intention of majoring in Business Administration at Onondaga Community College. But when she sat down with her Student Success Navigator Michele Carey and learned Calculus was a mandatory class, she decided she needed to go in a different direction. "We went over options…
Major: Humanities
High School: Marcellus, class of 2019
One year ago Emily Durand was in the process of working through some big decisions. She was a senior at Marcellus High School and feeling the pressure of having to plan her future. "I was very undecided about what I wanted to do for a…
A visit to the CNY Scholastic Art show while Emily Pitoniak was a student at Camden High School ultimately brought her back to campus as an OCC student.
After receiving her diploma in June 2020, Pitoniak enrolled at a SUNY four-year college. As the semester progressed and she realized…
Esteffany Lorena Castillo-Patino's first year at Onondaga Community College was extremely challenging. During her freshman year Covid was in full bloom and she didn't feel she was getting the total college experience. This year has been much different. "My first year I didn't do much…
The thought of going to college later in life can be intimidating. When Evan Riccardo decided to enroll at Onondaga Community College and begin taking classes in the spring 2024 semester, he wasn't sure if he would be able to survive. "I was terrified. I was like 'oh my God what am I doing?' I…
When Everine Mukeshimana was growing up in a refugee camp in Africa she dreamed of one day coming to the United States, earning a college degree, and becoming a nurse. Living conditions in the refugee camp were poor and she was surrounded by sickness. She thought if she could become a nurse, she…
Gabriel Tucker is a high-achieving student with a diverse set of skills. He's a member of the honor society who can play five musical instruments, loves spending his free time doing creative writing, and prior to Covid was an assistant sword instructor.
After graduating from West Genesee…
On a beautiful spring day in May of 2022, Galia Amor and her mother made a spur-of-the-moment decision to take a ride to Onondaga Community College and visit campus unannounced. Even though both of her parents attended community colleges, Amor wasn't sure it was the right path for her. During…
Gavan Liston remembers the harrowing moment when he knew he wanted to become a firefighter. He was asleep in the middle of the night when he was abruptly woken up. "My mom was screaming 'fire!' She went and I followed. There was a fire in the apartment next to us and heavy black smoke in the…
George Cooper’s younger sister, Monique, convinced him he needed to change the way he was living. "You get to a point where reality hits you. You realize you're going to be 40 soon. Do you want to keep running the streets? There's no retirement plan in that. My sister really put into my…
George Grigorian's journey through higher education took some unexpected turns, but he's happy with where he is now. After graduating from Jamesville-Dewitt High School in 2022, he enrolled in the Business Management program at Cazenovia College. A short time later, he learned the school would…
Degree program: Early Childhood
Gina Segreti is unbelievably strong. She has epilepsy and autism, was bullied constantly in school, never knew her father, lost her mother when she was 17, and was placed in a group home until she was old enough to live on her own. Despite all of that, in her…