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OCC students Maddie Bohrer and Nidaa Aljabarrin are part of a very exclusive club. Both are semifinalists for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Students who are selected will receive up to $40,000 per year to attend a four-year accredited undergraduate school. Nearly 1,500 students from 45 states and the District of Columbia applied. Bohrer and Aljabarrin are among just 456 semifinalists. "It's an incredible opportunity," said Bohrer. "Just being selected to get this far is really exciting.

• Major: Criminal Justice
• High School: Central Square, Class of 2018

Kelsey Johnson loves being a leader whether she's tutoring fellow students in Statistics at the Learning Center, or instructing students who are part of the Central Square school district's color guard and winter guard programs. "I feel I'm good at teaching things. It's very fulfilling, especially with the younger girls when they find something they like and I've helped them find it."

OCC's Box of Books program received national recognition when it was named one of ten finalists for a Bellwether Award in the category of Instructional Programs and Services. Students Isaac Mbambo and Alexis Riccardo led a team of College representatives through showcase and presentation events at the Bellwether Assembly in San Antonio, Texas.

Two years ago Katelyn Karleski had a difficult decision to make. She was a senior at Westhill High School where she was an outstanding student and a three-sport athlete (soccer, basketball, lacrosse). She had been accepted academically at both Le Moyne College and SUNY Cortland but neither school would guarantee her a spot on an athletic team. That's when she started seriously considering Onondaga Community College. "The coaches here were willing to work with me so I could continue playing basketball and lacrosse even though they overlap.

Onondaga Community College has been named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine. More than 1,000 schools were considered nationwide. OCC was one of just 625 which earned the designation. The final ratings were based on institutional survey scores coupled with the ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer), and loan default rate for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

• Major: General Studies
• High School: Baldwinsville, class of 2019

Sunday Joshua has had a remarkable journey around the world. He's a refugee from Lagos, Nigeria who arrived in the United States in 2017 as winter was beginning. "I remember being so cold. I had never been so cold in my life. I felt lonely but my foster family worked hard to make me feel at home."

Onondaga Community College leaders are taking a close look at improving teaching and learning spaces as they construct the next Facilities Master Plan. "We have a beautiful campus with upgraded facilities," said Sarah Gaffney, OCC's Vice President of Finance. "In this plan we are really focused on the aesthetics of our learning environments."