Ryan Beckley is ready to turn OCC's Automotive Technology degree program into the go-to place for Central New York's auto repair shops and dealerships when they need technicians. "We are going to help each of our students develop a relationship with an industry partner so that when they graduate they will walk into a full-time job. That's my goal."
A music teacher at Ogdensburg Free Academy changed the course of Alyssa LaComb-Brown's life. She was prepared to drop out of school because she needed to take care of her brothers, but a conversation with Jon Cole convinced her otherwise. "He pushed me and made sure I stayed in school. He was the reason I graduated. What he did for me made me want to be that for other people."
Alexis Pinczes is a self-proclaimed hands-on learner. She's getting an unexpected opportunity to do just that in OCC's residence halls. Pinczes and her classmates in Workforce Development's Medical Assistant class are overseeing the regular collection of saliva from residence hall students for COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing. "It's been cool interacting and learning how to deal with different types of people. It can be hard to communicate wearing masks and talking through plexi glass but I enjoy it. It's helping me prepare for what I'll be doing."
This year a new generation of Lazers will be welcomed to our campus under some unusual circumstances on Monday. As the date looms closer, we wanted to pause and ask them why they started college during a global pandemic and why they are excited for the semester start. Here are the perspectives of 7 of them.
Why Did you Decide to start College in the Middle of a Pandemic?
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Professionally speaking, Lisa GreenMills, '08 is in a COVID-19 hot spot. Up until two years ago she was Project Coordinator at Syracuse Healthy Start, a program which supports pregnant women and new families with outreach, case management, health education, and community connections. In 2018 her responsibilities grew exponentially when she became Director of Disease Control for Onondaga County Health Department. Six months ago, the COVID-19 pandemic took over her professional life. "We were watching it spread overseas. When we were starting to get it here, we were watching and waiting.
