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A refugee from Somalia who is also an Onondaga Community College alumnus is the newest member of OCC's Board of Trustees. Haji Adan '12 was sworn-in during the Board's meeting Tuesday, February 11.

Adan is Executive Director of Refugee & Immigrant Self-Empowerment, also known as RISE, in Syracuse. He's an active member of the Central New York community serving on the Onondaga County Youth Board, the Somali Advocacy for Justice & Equality Movement, and the New York State Hate & Bias Prevention Regional Council.

Natalee Tomski graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School in just three years and planned to begin her higher education journey studying Criminology at a four-year school in Manhattan. But when she arrived there for the start of the fall semester, an unfortunate housing situation resulted in her returning home within a week and enrolling at Onondaga Community College.

Fifteen Onondaga Community College students have a new level of expertise they can take into the workforce. They successfully completed certification for handling tool operations and programming on FANUC robotics brand technology.

Students who take classes in Onondaga Community College's Applied Engineering Technology programs are learning from professors who have a wealth of industry experience to share. One of the newest professors with first-hand knowledge of the subject matter he's teaching is John Sly. "My hope for my students is to teach them to go further in life, faster than I did, by sharing my knowledge and experience."

Bianca Gascon's junior and senior years at Baldwinsville High School were anything but normal due to Covid. So after receiving her diploma in 2021, she decided to wait a year before starting college. Throughout the course of her gap year, she learned she had made the right choice. "After taking time off and hearing from other classmates about their experience during their first year of college, they felt like they had to manage and figure things out.

Onondaga Community College's Storer Auditorium was home to a unique graduation ceremony this week. Twelve women were celebrated for completing the Real Life Rosies program. They were trained in a variety of skills that will help them grow professionally and provide them with opportunities for continuous development.

"I'm pretty proud. I feel empowered by this," said Jennifer Van Luven, a 27-year-old Real Life Rosie from Syracuse who works at Gaylor Archival as an Operations Associate. "I love my job and I'd like to keep doing something I like."

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul came to the Onondaga Community College campus January 29 to rally support for her proposal for free community college. New Yorkers between the ages of 25 and 55 who pursue an associate degree in high-demand fields would be eligible. She was followed at the podium by SUNY Chancellor John King and OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton who echoed similar messages.

A rising member of the Onondaga Community College family has been chosen for a prestigious statewide position. Dana Acee is a member of the first group of Postsecondary State Career Technical Education (NYSATCE) Leaders Fellows. "I am honored to be chosen to participate in the New York Association for Career and Technical Education (CTE) Leaders Fellowship program. I hope to bring what I learn to our students at OCC and our community to help continue the work of building equitable education and workforce systems for our region."