Onondaga Community College Lazers Student-Athletes excelled on national stages on Mother's Day weekend. The Women's Lacrosse team dominated their opponent in the National Championship game and sophomore Bryn Whitman won her second consecutive National Championship in the Women's Discus event.
Women's Lacrosse
Aiden Knapp is preparing for the chance of a lifetime. One week from today he will begin a paid internship at Micron Technology in Manassas, Virginia. "I'm going to be a technician who troubleshoots equipment. I want to become more engaged in the field I'm pursuing. I see it as a great learning opportunity."
The achievements of students in Onondaga Community College's Opportunity Programs were celebrated during a convocation ceremony held May 8 in the Frederick Marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall.
Speakers during the ceremony included Provost and Senior Vice President Anastasia Urtz, and graduating students Carlos Rodriguez-Bornot and Mohamed Abdulkadir.
Below is a list of winter, spring, and summer graduates recognized during the ceremony followed by their areas of study.
Collegiate Science Technology Entry Program Honorees
Nick Campbell's childhood dream was to make movies one day, but the dream never seemed attainable while growing up in rural southern Onondaga County. Today at age 30, the dream seems like more of a possibility. A short film he wrote and directed won two awards earlier this year at the Global Film Festival Awards in Los Angeles, and earlier this month was highlighted at the Chicago Film Festival. "It's so surreal thinking of everything. I never would have considered any of this if it wasn't for Professor Snow approaching me and telling me I had a lot of potential with this.
Migual Mathis's love of science earned him an invitation to an exclusive event. Mathis was one of just 150 high school-aged students to be invited to participate in the first ever National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the festival was to highlight and showcase student-led solutions which address critical global challenges.
Melissa Duran will be the Student Speaker at Onondaga Community College's Commencement ceremony. "Being selected doesn't feel real! I keep having imposter syndrome. OCC has been the piece of the puzzle I was missing."
Duran immigrated to the United States 11 years ago with the dream of becoming a surgeon. She settled in New York City with her sister where she worked full-time and went to school full-time. She earned Biology degrees from CUNY two-year and four-year schools. Her grades were good, but not good enough for medical school. Her dreams of becoming a surgeon were on hold.
Approximately 40 percent of the employees in America work in small businesses, but during the economic recovery small businesses have accounted for two-thirds of the net new jobs created. That's why the staff in Onondaga Community College's Small Business Development Center spent National Small Business Week criss crossing the 8-county region its serves by recognizing one business in each of those counties as "Small Business of the Year."
Shyann Shaw is determined to be the change in her community. Her biggest fan is also her favorite Onondaga Community College Professor, Pete Patnode. "He motivates me. He says 'my money's on you. I have a lot of faith in you!'"
Professor Patnode teaches in the Criminal Justice degree program and is a retired Syracuse Police Officer. Shaw's dream is to one day become a Syracuse Police Officer, and eventually Chief. "I feel like Syracuse has a lot of potential. If you start with the newer generation and work with youth, you can change the way people think."
