Public

Student Spotlight: Lane Russell

  • Degree Program: Electronic Media Communications
  • High School: West Genesee, class of 2015

After graduating high school Lane decided to go to work before choosing a career. "I was interested in photography and video. I called up a camera place and asked how much lessons would cost. When they told me $60 an hour I thought for $60 an hour I could go to college."

Remembering Donald Mawhinney Jr.

Onondaga Community College Trustee Emeritus Donald Mawhinney Jr. passed away this week at the age of 94. His role in the creation and growth of OCC can not be overstated. Mawhinney was a member of the College's Board of Trustees for over 55 years and was the longest serving trustee in the United States and Canada. The building known as "Mawhinney Hall" on the west side of campus was named after him in 2006.

Student Spotlight: Augustine Wait

  • Degree Program: American Sign Language
  • High School: Henninger, class of 2017

Augustine was born and raised in a refugee camp in Thailand. It was the only life she ever knew until she came to the United States in 2011. She graduated from Henninger High School in 2017, then enrolled in OCC's American Sign Language degree program.

Nursing Faculty On The Front Line During The Pandemic

The health professionals who make up Onondaga Community College's Nursing faculty have been going non-stop since March. Between the sudden arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the immediate transition from in-person to online learning there's been little time to rest. "I have worked in hospitals since 1994," said Professor Cynthia Arcuri. "I've worked through several influenza seasons, the advent of SARS, the H1N1 virus, and the Ebola Virus. I've never seen anything like this." Arcuri works in the Cardiopulmonary Intensive Care Unit at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Student Spotlight: Luke Willis

  • Degree: Criminal Justice
  • High School: Baldwinsville, class of 2018

Family tragedy inspired Luke's career goals. When he was 9 years old his mother was the victim of a homicide. The killer was never found. "I'm a person who loves to learn. As I grew up, I kept finding out things about my mom's case I just didn't understand."

Lessons Learned From COVID-19

Greg Guevara, '15 survived the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with a new appreciation for everyone he comes in contact with. "This experience really highlighted how important being social is to the human psyche and how easily stability can be disturbed. It really highlighted the morality of humanity in a way only a global pandemic could."