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Irene Douglas's daily motivation is a message her mother shared with her many years ago. "She told me 'you don't have a reason to do less than I did.' I want to be able to tell my kids the same thing one day. I want to have my bachelor's degree by the time my daughter is ready to go to college. I'm pushing myself as hard as I can."

Jeff Detor has big plans related to the Business Administration degree he's going to receive next week, but it doesn't have anything to do with changing jobs or asking his supervisor for a pay raise. "My mom doesn't know I went back to school. My plan is to gift wrap my degree and give it to her!"

Onondaga Community College's Fire Protection Technology degree program has been awarded the Fire & Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) designation on the National Fire Academy-United States Fire Administration. This means students who earn OCC's Fire Protection Technology degree will be completing a standardized, consistent curriculum which gives them the opportunity to earn credit on their Federal (National Fire Academy) transcripts.

What will you be doing over winter break? For 22 Onondaga Community College students, the break from classes will provide them the opportunity to do scientific research at partner institutions SUNY ESF, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and Syracuse University.

A total of 22 students were selected for the week-long, paid research opportunities. All are in STEM-related degree programs at OCC.

The names of the students, complex topics of their research, and institutions they will be studying at are listed below:

The OCC Foundation is conducting a year-end appeal, raising money for student success. Here are a few Onondaga Community College students who have benefitted from your support:

Hannah Durand

Lauren Shaler was only 14 years old when her father passed away, but his experiences as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician made a lasting impression on her. "He would tell me stories and I would study his notebook. It was interesting. I liked hearing about what he did and reading about it."

As a student at Baldwinsville High School, she was named to BOCES National Technical Honor Society for Health Occupations. After graduating in 2021, she chose Onondaga Community College because of its affordability and proximity to home.

Critical scenario: There's been a serious accident and there is an urgent need for acute medical care. A 48-year-old male is rushed to the hospital following a head-on car crash. He lost consciousness briefly upon impact, was trapped in the vehicle for a lengthy period of time before being extricated, has an open leg break, and a nerve injury to his leg. During his initial examination by a Physical Therapist it is discovered he also has what is known as "foot drop," meaning he has difficulty lifting the front part of his foot.