When Maria (DiCocco) Donnelly thinks about how her family’s college journey began, she still laughs at the words her mother used whenever motivation was needed:
“I will carry you to class and sit on your lap if I have to.”
The message was clear. College mattered.
The National Grid Foundation today presented Onondaga Community College with $100,000 to support the National Grid Scholar Program. The generous donation will be used to strengthen the regional talent pipeline in healthcare and advanced manufacturing – two sectors critical to New York’s economic future.
Four Onondaga Community College Lazers student-athletes reached the top of the podium during the 2025-26 academic year, bringing home National Championships and adding to OCC’s proud tradition of excellence in athletics.
Onondaga Community College held its 63rd commencement ceremony on May 16, celebrating the accomplishments of nearly 700 graduating students.
The student speaker was Kierra Yager, who earned a Humanities & Social Sciences degree. She plans to continue her education - and become a pediatric clinical psychologist.
A SUNY Honorary Degree was presented to Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper Oren R. Lyons. OCC Honorary Degrees were presented to Joe Cecile, Stephen Fournier, and Kevin and Kathy LaGrow ‘79
For one Onondaga Community College graduate, Saturday's commencement celebration came with an unforgettable surprise.
Moments after Bellanina Viggiano received her degree in Creative Writing, she stepped off the stage and into a wedding proposal from her boyfriend of four years, Shaun Barfield.
Barfield had been planning the moment for months. “I came in this morning and asked who was in charge of the ceremony,” he said with a laugh. “I asked if I could do this, and was told, ‘Yes. Let’s do it.!”
Eight Onondaga Community College faculty and staff members were recognized with prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Excellence during last weekend's commencement ceremony.
The Chancellor’s Awards are among the highest honors presented within the State University of New York system, recognizing faculty and staff members for consistently outstanding professional achievement and a steadfast commitment to excellence.
The honorees and their award categories are:
Muhammad Amer is accelerating his path through higher education thanks to Onondaga Community College’s Early OCC program. Within the span of a single month, he will celebrate two major milestones: earning his high school diploma and completing his Mathematics & Science degree from OCC. “I’m very blessed,” Amer said. “I wanted to make sure I took full advantage of this opportunity, and I did.”
At 39, Tiffany Amoah is doing something she once thought might never happen. She's finishing college.
After years of working as a nurse, raising a family, and enduring the loss of both her father and her child, the cost of school had always forced her to stop short. Now, with the help of New York’s free-tuition program, she’s back at Onondaga Community College, determined to finish what she started.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the jury. My name is Peyton George. I'm part of the prosecution team for the case of State versus Armando Cosimi."
And with that, the final exam is underway in Professor Pete Patnode's Criminal Investigations (CRJ-142) class. The Ferrante Hall classroom turned courtroom includes Professor Patnode playing the role of judge, George and her team representing the people, a team of students presenting the case on behalf of the defense, and a team of students playing the role of jurors.
When MacIntyre Gorham returns to campus for the fall semester, he will do so with a new title - Student Trustee on Onondaga Community College's Board of Trustees. "I'm good at translating thoughts between different groups, and generational translating is important. I want to tell the trustees in a way they can understand what students are having trouble with, and I want to be able to explain to students why trustees make certain decisions. I want to be that bridge of communication - give people facts they can respond to."
