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Each year Onondaga Community College recognizes distinguished graduates who have made a difference in their community and professional life, naming them  "Alumni Faces" honorees. On the night of Thursday, October 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the Frederick Marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall in the Academic II building, we will pay tribute to the Alumni Faces Class of 2022. In the weeks leading up to the event we are proudly profiling our honorees on our website and social media.

Frances Perez-Nunn has an amazing drive to better herself through higher education. She's a student at Onondaga Community College who commutes three days a week from Albany. That's 150 miles each way! Why does she make the 2-and-a-half hour drive twice a day? "There are plenty of other community colleges between here and there, but none offer an ASL (American Sign Language) program like OCC does."

Eli Hunt has a genuine appreciation for his surroundings and the history behind them. That's what motivated him to put his time and effort into an Honors Project focused on the ecological and geological history of the Onondaga Community College campus.

The finished product is a large, glossy poster which was hung recently at the Furnace Brook Center by Hunt along with Professor Justin Fiene. "I'm really proud of how this came out but I'm not surprised," said Professor Fiene. "I knew we would get something good from Eli."

Being heavily involved in campus life has made a significant difference in Eddie Flynn's Onondaga Community College experience. "I've made so many connections here and it's so enjoyable. I have so many friends I wouldn't have had if I was just attending class. I come to school everyday and look forward to everything I'm part of."

The new exhibit in Onondaga Community College's Gallery is the work of an artist and instructor who was raised in a rural and majestic Malaysian village steeped in a colorful traditional culture. Rashidah Salam grew up surrounded by the rich art and craft of her community as well as the influence of multi-cultural and multi-ethnicity traditions. "I recreated the memory of the garden of my childhood. It's a sanctuary for me and I hope those who visit my garden here will find peace and happiness," she said.