Public

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.

Onondaga Community College's chapter of honor society Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) spent the fall semester working on a major project focused on the issue of mental health and disability. Their efforts included collecting and donating related books to the Children's Learning Center in Ferrante Hall, and hosting a "Living Library" on campus.

Jesus Coronel is excited about the upcoming break, but not because he's because he's going to take it easy after a busy semester. Instead he'll be participating in the Brookhaven National Laboratory's Mini-Semester Program. "It's a big opportunity to expand my horizons, my knowledge, and broaden my perspective of where my opportunities lie in science and the STEM fields."

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 could help people become healthy again.

In 2019 she took the first step in making her dream come true when she immigrated to America. "I was so lucky to come here. It's very different from where I came from."

Diana Robertson remembers how uncertain she felt when she came to the Onondaga Community College campus in 1975 to register for classes. She was the first person in her family to go to college and didn’t have anyone at home to lean on for guidance. “I had to choose a major, I had to choose my classes, and I didn’t really know what I was doing. And so, I became a Drama major.”

A newly renovated lab coupled with updated curriculum is giving students in the Mechanical Technology degree program a greater opportunity for professional success. "This state-of-the-art room has changed the way this class is perceived. It feels high tech, students have good access to information, and lots of technology in this room to work with. They feel professional," said Mechanical Technology Professor Michael Grieb, P.E. who is also Chair of Onondaga Community College's Applied Technology Department.