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Classes are underway! Now that you’ve gotten into the swing of this semester, it’s a great time to check out Lazer Success. What’s that? Lazer Success, powered by Starfish, is our 1-stop-shop tool designed to help you with your academic journey so you can cross the graduation stage. Students can fill out their personal profiles, view their professors’ profiles, and quickly look up support services. Here are the top 3 reasons why you should be using it.

Dennis O'Connor '71 earned his General Studies degree from Onondaga Community College 50 years ago, but didn't realize what his alma mater had become until he visited campus recently. "This is really amazing. I could have never imagined this when I was a student."

Therapy turned Joe Logiudice's life around, and he wants you to know that if you are struggling with life's challenges it can do the same for you. He went from barely surviving in school and in life to owning a perfect 4.0 grade point average and President of Onondaga Community College's Student Government. In December he'll earn his degree in Humanities with a specialization in Psychology.

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."