Judah Bailey is on the right path and he credits the military with helping him find his way. "It's taught me delayed gratification. I know it's important to work for something and not expect results immediately. I know the value of the compounding interest of things. You have to get up, train every day, and work hard so you graduate."
Professor Buffy Quinn's passion for using drones to make maps brought a new degree program to OCC and recently landed her a voice in a national discussion about the use of drones in STEM education. Quinn recently participated in the National Center for Autonomous Technology's panel discussion on the topic. "We had great response with lots of questions from people all across the country. It was fun to discuss lessons learned and that we were doing innovative things to get students experience in this very high tech field and get them into really good jobs."
Each year Onondaga Community College's chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa works on an Honors In Action project. Students research a societal issue, then put their research into action to help solve the problem.
Onondaga Community College will award associate degrees to more than 300 students this month, and a handful of those recipients will be students who started taking classes here in high school as part of the P-TECH program. Because of how early they started and how well they have done, they are earning their degrees in just three semesters. "Finishing early gives me more time to explore what I want to do," said Eliza Velazquez who will receive her degree in Electrical Technology. "Time passes by really quick. We started coming here in 2017.
You think 2020 has been an interesting year for you? Consider what Thanh Nguyen has experienced. In January she left her home in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam to come to Onondaga Community College. By mid-March, all classes became virtual due to COVID-19. "When I was in Vietnam I was involved in many activities and I expected that here. I cried a little bit when I wasn't able to do anything."
Optimism has been a rare commodity in 2020, but Jacqueline Gayle's eternal optimism has led her to a new career path which she is starting at Onondaga Community College. "This is a great college. The love and support I get from my professors and the school overall is wonderful."
Nick Berlo learned valuable life lessons during his 6 years in the United States Air Force. Now he's focused on building a strong academic foundation for himself at Onondaga Community College as he pursues a career in the auto racing industry.
Onondaga Community College's "One Team" gives incoming students their own point person who guides them from the application process through their first semester on campus. The captain of One Team is Ryan Nellenback, OCC's Director of Student Onboarding and a 2004 alumnus of the College.
Shawn Edie has the perfect temperament for his job. He's the Director of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement and the Director of Residence Life. In his world situations can arise which need to be handled quickly and effectively. Edie has the ability to keep smiling while working through it. "I enjoy bringing fun and levity to serious situations. I was fortunate to work for people who had the ability to make me comfortable. Becoming an RA really brought me out of my shell."
