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Each Wednesday we are sharing the stories of outstanding students who began their college education while in high school. Today we introduce you to Jared Gardenier.

The P-TECH program gave Jared Gardenier the chance to begin working on his Mechanical Technology degree at a young age. "I love what we do. I love that we get this opportunity. I love being here. I enjoy coming here every day. The teachers are amazing. I like that the classes are smaller and you have the time if you don't understand things to work through them."

Onondaga Community College's Automotive Technology program has a new teaching tool, thanks to the generosity of the Matthews Auto family of dealerships. In conjunction with Nissan North America, Matthews Auto donated to the college a 2025 Infiniti QX60. It's a high-end 3-row luxury SUV loaded with options, which Automotive Technology students will be able to work on and learn from.

Katie Morgan was in the middle of a work day when she had her 'aha moment.' "I was sitting in a meeting that could have been an email thinking 'what am I doing here? I can't do this for another 20 to 25 years.'"

Her job paid well but wasn't fulfilling. She thought about her options, talked it over with her husband, and made one of the biggest decisions of her life. She quit her full-time job, picked up a part-time one, and became a full-time student at Onondaga Community College.

Three Onondaga Community College students are winners of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence! Each year SUNY recognizes students for outstanding achievements that demonstrate the integration of SUNY excellence within many aspects of their lives in areas such as academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service, or the arts. This is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon any SUNY student.

OCC's 2025 SUNY Chancellor's Award students are:

Onondaga Community College recognized the top students in its degree and certificate programs during the Curriculum Honors ceremony, held April 22 in Storer Auditorium. Each honoree received a certificate and a blue stole, which they will wear at commencement. The 2025 Curriculum Honorees are listed below, followed by photos from the event.

School of Arts, Communication, Business & Entrepreneurship

Each Wednesday we are sharing the stories of outstanding students who began their college education while still in high school. Today we introduce you to Ramonda Huff.

When Onondaga Community College's Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) Leadership Team began discussing a meaningful college project, their conversations kept coming back to the same issue. "We talked about how students might not use resources here like the food pantry as much as they could or should because they were afraid to ask for help or be judged," said PTK President Bianca Gascon. "We felt strongly that we could help remove the barriers students face to access food and other services on our campus."

Onondaga Community College recognized its 2025 Pinnacle Award winners during a ceremony held April 21 in the Gordon Student Center Great Room. The Pinnacle program recognizes students who have shown excellence in one or more of the following fields: leadership, civic engagement, and scholarly research. The students selected also demonstrated not only an exemplary academic performance, but also a strong connection with the campus or community.

This year's Pinnacle Award winners are pictured below with their presenter and OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton.

Sajad Ali has found a home in the United States and on the Onondaga Community College campus.

Ali was born on the first day of the 21st century in Iraq, moved with his family to Syria 6 years later, and immigrated to the United States in 2013. When he arrived, he didn't know a word of English and had never seen snow. Five years later he graduated from Syracuse's Henninger High School and became a U.S. Citizen.

Two of Onondaga Community College's best and brightest have been named Phi Theta Kappa All-State students. They were chosen for the academic team because of their distinguished academic achievements and leadership accomplishments. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of all community colleges.

The 2024-2025 honorees are: