Ryan Merrow bet on himself and his bet is paying off. He's a first generation college student from tiny Weston, Vermont (population 566) who decided to come to Onondaga Community College sight unseen. He's blossomed into both an outstanding student and a leader amongst his peers. "I…
Ryan Scholes has gone from a college dropout to an honor student, and in just a few weeks, he'll receive his first college degree. "The first time around at OCC, I wasn't quite ready for college. I left after one semester." The LaFayette High School graduate needed time to mature, and 5 years in…
When Sabirin Hassan came to the United States from Somalia five years ago the only English she knew was "how are you?" She expanded her vocabulary by watching movies with the subtitles on and reading children's books. "I worked really hard to learn English," she said.
Hassan graduated…
Sabrina Howell Pruitt went to college right out of high school, but life had other plans. "I wound up getting pregnant. Motherhood took over. That's what I did until my kids grew up."
For more than three decades, she put her education on hold while raising her daughter and son. "I always…
Sajad Ali has found a home in the United States and on the Onondaga Community College campus.
Ali was born on the first day of the 21st century in Iraq, moved with his family to Syria 6 years later, and immigrated to the United States in 2013. When he arrived, he didn't know a word of…
Major: Fire Protection Technology
High School: Baldwinsville, class of 2018
Sam Farren always had an interest in firefighting. Every time she climbed into her stepfather's truck, she saw the blue light volunteer firefighters use. While recovering from a medical procedure she found…
About nine months ago, Sam Pandossi decided to gamble on himself. He had tried college before but it didn't work out. He had become used to the security of a full-time job in retail and the financial security that went along with it.
Then he heard about Micron, and the new…
A faith-based quote Saray Quevedo's mother shared with her at a young age provides her the daily inspiration to be the best she can be. "'If God is with me, who's against me?' That quote has brought me through everything in my entire life. It's why I have succeeded."
Quevedo is the…
Major: Liberal Arts & Sciences - General Studies
High School: Fayetteville-Manlius, class of 2018
Sean Egan has loved performing for as long as he can remember. "Since I was old enough to talk, I used to put on shows in the living room. I would host a morning talk show and make family…
Major: Human Services
High School: The Heritage School in New York City, class of 2017
When Shania Guzman started taking college classes she was pretty sure she didn’t belong. “I didn’t think OCC or any school was for me. I was eager to go home but that wasn’t an option. That’s when I made…
Shannon Smithson plans to turn her passion for athletics into a career helping others recover from injuries. That's why she's working hard to succeed in Onondaga Community College's Physical Therapist Assistant degree program. "It's really demanding. You have to maintain a certain GPA. I'm…
Think about where you were exactly two years ago and what you were doing.
Then consider Sharif Jafari's story.
In August of 2021 he was in his home country of Afghanistan. The United States military was suddenly withdrawing, leaving the country in chaos.…