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When Quri Conrow Blakes walks across the stage at graduation tomorrow, she won't just be receiving her associate degree in Human Services. She'll also be celebrating resilience, faith, and a dream years in the making.

Mark Parry stands next to the dentist's chair every day, assisting with procedures and handing over instruments. "I work next to the dentist, but I want to be on the other side of the chair one day." At age 29, he may finally be on his way.

Abigail Webster has mixed emotions about completing her Onondaga Community College degree. She's excited to finally achieve the milestone 12 years after graduating from West Genesee High School, but not ready to leave a place that has meant so much to her. "I really enjoyed it here. I loved it a lot in a way that surprised me. I'm quite sad about being done. I was trying to figure out ways I could stay longer."

On December 16, 2025, Chedy Hampson will walk across the stage at Onondaga Community College and finally receive a degree he began pursuing more than 30 years ago. After attending Mansfield University, Monroe Community College (MCC), and OCC on three separate occasions, and after years of believing he’d fallen short, an evaluation of his credits revealed he had already completed everything required for an associate degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences: General Studies.

Vienna Missell is a high school student by age only. Her math skills belong in a college classroom, and she has the statistics to prove it. She is currently in second place in the New York State Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges (NYSMATYC) Math League competition, having just earned the highest score ever recorded by an OCC student.

"You have so many good stories, you should write a book!" If Glenn LaPoint '16 had heard that once, he'd heard it a thousand times.

Central New Yorkers know him as Glenn "Gomez" Adams thanks to his 40-plus year career in the media, including the last 31 years at radio station TK-99 where he hosts the morning show, "Gomez and Company." He's also a stand-up comic with countless stories from that part of his life to share as well.

Johnny Tinker grew up on Tinkerbell Farms in Homer, the oldest of 16 children, who helped manage 80 to 100 cows along with goats and horses. "If you would have asked me in my younger life if I could ever see all this for myself, I would have said 'I'm going to be a farm boy for the rest of my life," he said.

Being a Social Media Intern at Onondaga Community College gave Patrick Marek experiences he never expected. "This has gotten me to do different things I wouldn't have done on campus. I never would have covered a therapy dog event for social media or gone to several other campus events if I didn't go with the mindset of needing experience," Marek said.