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Abdullah Alaawad's parents had a dream for their sons. It was a dream they would need to leave their native Iraq to make come true. "They told me and my two brothers to go to the United States and complete our education. There are a lot of opportunities here for good jobs that pay good money." And in 2014 at age 21, that's exactly what Abdullah did. After he completed high school in Iraq, he came to the U.S.. "It was a real challenge for me. I had to learn the language and make new friends."

There was a time in the not-so-distant past that Dr. Cynthia Warner had three older family members in three different nursing homes, and each of them was being treated by one of her graduates. "It was so rewarding to see our former students out there. I've graduated more than 500 students and everywhere I go it seems I see one of them."

Some people call him “Maurice.” Others go with “Mo.” His closest friends call him “Breezy.” And occasionally he hears “Mo Breezy.” He's a man of many names and even more life experiences. And Maurice Brown has returned to OCC as a Success Coach in the College's School of Liberal Arts to guide students to where they want to go. "I want to be able to help people. I get to do that in this position and I love that. OCC is my home. I really believe in the mission of this college and I like that I can help execute it."

It's been a spectacular fall for students in OCC's Chess Club. The outstanding weather has allowed them to take their mind games outdoors throughout the semester. "We started playing outside and we've really enjoyed it," said Chess Club President Connor Burkhart. "As long as it's not raining we can keep doing it."

Thanh Nguyen's final semester at Onondaga Community College is going much better than her first. "Everything is good. My professors, my success coach, and my advisor have all been very helpful. And there are a lot of resources here for students we are trying to promote in Student Government."

After an academic year filled with virtual events, Onondaga Community College hosted a campus-wide in-person Unity Day on Wednesday, October 13. The theme of this semester's event was "Better Together." Events happening across campus included:

Onondaga Community College's Learning Center is giving students the assistance they need to do well in their coursework. The Learning Center is open 7 days a week and the services provided there are free.

The Learning Center will serve more than 1.000 students during the fall semester. Students can receive tutoring in individual or small group settings. They can also learn how to improve their study skills and writing skills.