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Dr. Daryll Dykes' Ph.D., MD, JD fell in love with the power of medicine at an early age. When he was a young boy growing up on Syracuse’s west side, he enjoyed visiting his mother while she worked as a nurse. After graduating from Fowler High School in 1980, Dykes joined the United States Marine Corps as a way of paying for college. When he completed his military obligation Dykes came to OCC and majored in Mathematics & Science, completing his degree in 1983. “The classes and professors really ignited my passion for learning.

Mackenzie Foster has traveled the world and come back home with a clear vision of what she plans to do. "I want to be a Nurse Practitioner. It will take me a few years to accomplish it but I'm pretty determined."

Candace Cathcart was already feeling emotional about attending Onondaga Community College's December 2021 Graduation Ceremony. At 5 p.m. she would watch her daughter, Niokey Williams receive her Nursing degree, then head over to SUNY Upstate Community Hospital for her 7 p.m. nursing shift. But when she arrived at the SRC Arena, her daughter told her she would come out of the stands and present her with her Nursing pin at the end of the ceremony. The pin is a symbol of Nursing students' hard work and dedication towards their coursework and clinicals.

The best part of every Onondaga Community College commencement ceremony is watching the diversity of the students who cross the stage to receive their degrees. Some are just a couple of years removed from high school, others are in their 30s or 40s, and some are closer to retirement than their high school years.

American Sign Language Professor Kim Amidon begins each class the same way... by tapping her hands on her desk to get her students attention. Her students are scattered across five high schools in neighboring Oswego County. Amidon is in a specially equipped classroom in Mawhinney Hall on the Onondaga Community College campus. There are microphones on her desk which pick up the noise her hands make. And she's surrounded by technology which gives her the ability to communicate with students. "I try to teach classroom style even though I am not in the same classroom as them.