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Glenna Jackson is a superhero. She's been knocked down by just about any type of tragedy you can think of, gotten back up, and been stronger for it. Next month, at the age of 53, she'll earn her first college degree. "I couldn't do this without God. And I love OCC. It's my safe place. I'm so glad to get up in the morning and come here. I have happy tears when I think about OCC."

Ahmed Fakhr is a 17-year-old high school senior who never actually took a class in high school. And now he's about to make the jump from Onondaga Community College to an Ivy League School. "I like to say I went from middle school to college. My first two years of high school were remote because of Covid, and then I came here."

Students in OCC's Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) created quite a buzz at the recent Maker Faire Syracuse. They helped event attendees solder together light up robot pins which they could keep and wear. Throughout the course of the day the pins became "a thing" at the event. "Whenever I bumped into someone who made one, they were proud to show me their pin," said Maker Faire Syracuse Coordinator Pauline Lynch Shostack. "OCC's station was really hopping the entire day."

When you support students through the OCC Foundation, you support students like Giuliana Portolesi. She came to Onondaga Community College with the dream of earning her first college degree and a Division I scholarship to play goalie in Women's Lacrosse.

Onondaga Community College students from Fayetteville-Manlius, Marcellus, New York Mills, and Nottingham High Schools are being honored with statewide recognition for excellence both inside and outside the classroom.

The challenging life Amira Busuladzic grew up in helped determine her career path. "There was a lot of domestic violence. I knew I needed to be someone for a child who needs that support and guidance. I knew Human Services (degree program) was something I needed to do."

When Sabirin Hassan came to the United States from Somalia five years ago the only English she knew was "how are you?" She expanded her vocabulary by watching movies with the subtitles on and reading children's books. "I worked really hard to learn English," she said.

A new agreement between Say Yes Syracuse and Onondaga Community College will help Syracuse City School District graduates who attend OCC with their housing costs. The new Preferred Partners Program will provide students with the following benefits: