Gavan Liston remembers the harrowing moment when he knew he wanted to become a firefighter. He was asleep in the middle of the night when he was abruptly woken up. "My mom was screaming 'fire!' She went and I followed. There was a fire in the apartment next to us and heavy black smoke in the hallway. It was something!"
When Shayne Turo '23 read a story on OCC's website about the work Cameron Littlejohn '15 was doing, he saw an opportunity for the two to bring their groups together.
Onondaga Community College's SRC Arena was briefly transformed into a Federal Courtroom November 9 when it hosted a Naturalization ceremony. Nearly 100 candidates for citizenship were sworn-in as American citizens by U.S. District Court Judge David E. Peebles.
Retine Mfurakazi is a trailblazer in her family. She's the first to attend college, providing a valuable example for her 5 younger sisters. "Me being the first is big! You have the pressure of everyone looking up to you and you're trying to make your family proud."
The OCC Foundation is conducting a year-end appeal, raising money for student success. Current Onondaga Community College students who are benefitting from your support include:
Eric Shear
When Anthony Lisi decided on a career path, he came to Onondaga Community College's Office of Veterans and Military Services. "I walked in, talked to Steve, said 'these are the prerequisites I need, can you get me there?' He's been more than incredible." The "Steve" Lisi referred to is Steve White, Assistant Director of Veterans Affairs at OCC. "He's the best," said Lisi. "You know he's got your back.
Abdukadir Magezi Shuraim had a challenging introduction to life in the United States. He arrived from Uganda in January 2020 with limited English skills, and immediately became a student at Syracuse's Nottingham High School. Two months later, school doors closed and classes became virtual due to decisions made related to COVID-19. He would receive his high school diploma in 2021 and enroll at Onondaga Community College that fall. "Coming to college for the first year was really my first time reacting with people in-person. I kept quiet the whole time.
