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There's a building boom coming to our region!

With the arrival of Micron there will be the need for more housing, more hotels, more everything. And there's the Interstate 81 project as well which is just beginning and will span several years.

With so much work ahead, the need is greater than ever for industry professionals to be collaborating. That's why the OCC Foundation organized a forum titled, "Building the Future: Construction and Architecture in the Growing CNY Landscape."

Onondaga Community College's celebration of Black History Month included a day set aside to remember the person whom an opportunity program is named after.

Friday, February 23rd was reserved for a celebration of Louis Stokes, and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. L-SAMP, as it's commonly referred to, is a fellowship program funded by the National Science Foundation. Its goal is to diversify the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM fields.

Ten years ago at this time Devin Harvil was wrapping up his senior year at Syracuse's Nottingham High School. He planned to attend Syracuse University that fall and begin working toward his bachelor's degree. Two years later, he realized he needed a break. "I didn't know what I wanted to do. It felt very intimidating and I was very overwhelmed. I didn't think I could achieve anything. I was very lost."

Harvil was dealing with depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder. "It was a hard time for me. There was a point in my life where I couldn't function for a whole year."

An unfortunate injury put David Love '23 on the path to a rewarding career and, along the way, a place in a "perfect" graduating class of Onondaga Community College Physical Therapist Assistant students.

Love began exercising at a young age as a way of shedding a few extra pounds. But while training during his sophomore year at Corcoran High School, he injured his "SI joint" which links the pelvis and lower spine. His recovery included physical therapy. From the moment he realized the positive impact physical therapy could have, it became his career focus.

Daniela Arevalo-Leyva moved to the United States from Cuba when she was 9 years old. As she learned about her new home country, she became fascinated by its criminal justice system. After she graduated from Jamesville-Dewitt High School in 2023, she decided to come to Onondaga Community College and pursue a Criminal Justice degree. "I realized OCC was the best first-choice to make. As I transition from high school, I can figure out exactly what I want to do before committing to a four-year school."

Compliments from colleagues at work inspired Abi Marin to pursue her passion.

While transcribing phone calls in English and Spanish at the Communication Center for the Deaf, she would often have down time in between calls. She took advantage of her free time by drawing. "My co-workers would come over and say 'that's really good. You should do something with that!'"

Onondaga Community College is helping Yama Nagi build the foundation she needs for a science-related career. In December she completed her Laboratory Science degree at OCC. The program is perfect for students interested in lab work or healthcare which does not require direct contact with patients.

Esports is the fastest growing sport in the world, and Onondaga Community College is proud to be part of that world. The Lazers have an Esports team and a sparkling Esports Arena!

Alex Espitia-Casallas spent a decade working as a baker before he decided it was time to do something else. He had attended college immediately after graduating high school in Reno, Nevada and left after one semester. "My first time in college was a total failure. I didn't know what I was doing or what I wanted to do. It hung over me like a gray cloud for a long time.