College to Career: Jesse Peplinski '15
Jesse Peplinski, ‘15
- Major: Computer Science
- High School: Liverpool, Class of 2013
Honoring Our 2017 Alumni Faces
They returned to campus with their stories of success. There was a real estate developer, a nurse, a professor of engineering, a television director and an attorney. What brought them together was a common bond, Onondaga Community College. OCC paid tribute to these five former students on the night of November 1, recognizing them as distinguished Alumni Faces during a ceremony in the Recital Hall.
"Lost Boy" Comes Home
Sixteen years after arriving in the United States as a refugee John Dau experienced one of the great thrills of his life when his life story, “God Grew Tired of Us,” was chosen to be OCC’s common read for the 2017-18 academic year. “This is the first place I ever went to school in America,” Dau said. “To have my book be selected for people to read means so much to me. It makes me emotional because this is where I started.
2017 Alumni Faces Honoree Dr. Deirdre Hunter, '02
Onondaga Community College annually recognizes distinguished graduates by naming them “Alumni Faces” for their accomplishments and contributions to the community. The 2017 class will be honored during a ceremony November 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall which is located in the Academic II building. One of the graduates we will honor that night is Dr. Deirdre Hunter.
Laurie Halse Anderson, '81
- Major at OCC: Humanities
- High School: Fayetteville-Manlius High School, Class of 1979
Laurie is a novelist whose books have become required reading for young adults, providing them with an outlet as they undergo transformations in their lives. She underwent her own transformation as a college student. “OCC is where I found my mind. I needed to grow up and get disciplined. The quality of the professors made a huge difference in my life. There was something about the attention I got from them that has never left me.
John Dau, '05
- Major at OCC: Humanities
- Home country: South Sudan
John is a “Lost Boy,” one of tens of thousands of refugees displaced or orphaned by war in the Sudan. He came to the United States in 2001 and began taking classes at OCC along with approximately 80 refugees. “OCC was like a family to us. The teachers helped with school work and life lessons. It created a strong bond with me and all of the refugees.” Today he is President of the John Dau Foundation which provides healthcare and nutrition programs to the citizens of South Sudan.
Carolyn Carbone, '93 and Sarah Hassett, '13
- High School: Carbone – Fowler High School, Hassett – Solvay High School
- Major at OCC: Criminal Justice
Carolyn Carbone and Sarah Hassett are the first mother and daughter duo in the history of the Syracuse Police Department. Before they became police officers, they earned Criminal Justice degrees from OCC. Carbone gave birth to Hassett while a student at OCC and utilized the on-campus day care, the Children’s Learning Center while she went to class.
Bill Bonnell, '83
- Major at OCC: Radio & TV (now Electronic Media Communications)
- High School: North Syracuse, Class of 1981
Bill is an Emmy Award winning television sports producer with ESPN who has coordinated coverage of Olympic games, Super Bowls and several other high-profile sports events. He built the foundation for his success at OCC. “Going to OCC was a great experience. The classes were small. It was very intimate and personal.” Bill’s wife, mother and one of his brothers also graduated from OCC. “I loved my time there.
Marthe Ngwashi, '03
- Major at OCC: Business Management
- High School: Nottingham, class of 1994
Marthe is living the American dream. She's the child of African immigrants, has her own law firm in Buffalo and is a proud mother who balanced her career and life challenges so she could give her son the stability and support he needed. She says she came into her own during her time at OCC. "I was in EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) and I got help at the Tutoring Center. My counselors and the faculty saw something in me I didn’t see.
Dinyar Vania, '99
- Major at OCC: Music with a specialization in Voice
- High School: Marcellus
Dinyar came to OCC with the dream of being a percussionist. OCC’s Music faculty discovered he had enormous potential as a vocalist and worked with him to enhance those skills. “Everyone was extremely supportive. There were many positive influences and that really went a long way in my development and growth. I received the best education of my life at OCC.” Vania is now an opera tenor and one of the most sought after talents throughout the United States and Europe.