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Teaching was always what was most important to Ashley Haskins. So when she was presented with the opportunity to return to her alma mater as an Assistant Professor in Applied Engineering Technology, she jumped at the opportunity. "It feels great to be back. It's like coming home. I've been pursuing more meaning. I want to make more of a difference. It's become more important to me as I've furthered my career."

If you need physical therapy in Central New York, you're in good hands thanks in large part to Onondaga Community College's Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. There's a pretty good chance wherever you go, an OCC grad will be helping you. In 2022 and 2023, every student who completed their PTA degree went directly into the workforce.

Until recently, Emanuel Rodriguez compared his life situation to the video game Deathground. It's a self-described survival horror game that throws players into a desperate battle for survival against deadly Artificial Intelligence Dinosaurs. "I was at a certain age where I didn't have any other choices. Either I start to do good or I fall down the rabbit hole."

Two Oswego County high school students who attend Onondaga Community College as part of the P-TECH program spent a week of their summer at a unique camp. Dylan Elsner and Evan Hansen were selected to participate in Constellation Energy's Youth Energy Summit at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "I learned a lot about clean energy, Constellation as a whole, and hydropower," said Elsner. "I enjoyed learning the history of nuclear energy, how it works, and that it's a good source of clean energy," added Hansen.

Onondaga Community College's Board of Trustees welcomed two new members September 24 during the first meeting of the academic year, including a new Student Trustee. Alicia Oberlender is a graduate of West Genesee High School who is dual majoring in Mathematics & Science and American Sign Language (ASL). She is ASL Club President, a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and she serves the campus community as a Student Ambassador, giving tours to prospective students and their families. She is also working toward earning her black belt in karate.

It's been three years since Ciara Smith graduated from Syracuse's Henninger High School, enrolled at a four-year school that fall, then decided to take a step back after one semester. "My major was Business but it wasn't something I was really interested in. I think I was trying to rush going to school when I wasn't ready for it. I came home and decided to take a break and think about what I really wanted to do."

Dustin Klock grew up with a large saltwater tank in his home. So when he was offered the chance to spend his summer researching biological activity in water tanks at SUNY-ESF, he was speechless. "I love science so I was literally floored to get the opportunity to actually work in a real lab without having a degree and get taught by an actual scientist. It was beyond an amazing experience."

Odae Badwan '17 has returned to the place where his higher education journey began. He's a Facilities Project Manager at Onondaga Community College, helping build future learning spaces for students who will learn where he once learned. "I think it's amazing to see the amount of effort and dedication here supporting students. Building for an educational institution is so meaningful. We're paving the road for students with everything we are doing."