Lily Woughter knew since middle school she wanted a career in music. Figuring out what exactly that career would look like took a little longer. "During high school I wasn't sure which branch of music to pursue. By the time I had to audition I didn't feel quite ready for a four-year school. I heard really good things about the Music program at OCC and decided to come here."
Every April, OCC holds a ceremony called Curriculum Honors during which we recognize the top student in each of the College’s majors. It’s one of the highlights of the year. During the ceremony a faculty member introduces each student and details his or her accomplishments, the student receives a certificate and a light blue stole to be worn at commencement, and the student is photographed with OCC President Dr. Casey Crabill. Due to the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, we were unable to hold our ceremony this year.
Onondaga Community College received some amazing news late Friday night. The College’s chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), known as Alpha Sigma Zeta, was named 5th best in the world! This is the second year in a row OCC’s PTK chapter had been ranked among the top five internationally.
Beth Eischen is a modern-day superhero. By day she teaches Microbiology to Onondaga Community College students. By night she makes masks for healthcare workers. “It makes me feel amazing to be able to help. I know how important is to be properly masked. I used to work with HIV in Silicon Valley. I understand personal protective equipment.”
Four years after leaving his home country of Iran for a better life, Murtaza Khawari is feeling at home in the United States and on the Onondaga Community College campus. "I chose OCC because there are a lot of refugees here like me. I hoped I would feel comfortable here and I do."
Dr. Daryll Dykes, ‘83 is an amazing example of how someone can use a community college education to transform their life. After graduating from Fowler High School he joined the United States Marine Corps with the goal of using his military service to pay for college. After his honorable discharge, Dykes came to Onondaga Community College and began his academic journey. Today he is one of the nation’s top spine surgeons with Upstate Orthopedics.
COVID-19 couldn’t stop Onondaga Community College’s chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)! With students scattered across Central New York and much of the state, PTK held a virtual induction ceremony and welcomed in approximately 200 new members Wednesday night.
Onondaga Community College is about to change the way it teaches reading and writing. It’s all because of the tireless work of two English professors, coupled with work focused around a federal grant, and the reorganization of all of the College’s majors into eight schools. “Students won’t be placed into developmental reading or developmental English any more. We are building a course that is going to be receptive to the needs of all of our students and get them where they need to be in terms of their critical literacy skills,” said English Professor Malkiel Choseed, Ph.D.
