Istarlin Dafe didn't have the luxury of growing up in a home where she could learn from others who had gone to college. So when she heard about a writing workshop being offered on campus, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity. "I really learned a lot here. Now I will be able to teach my younger siblings how to send an email and be perfect and very detailed."
Cathy Jarrett had been considering returning to college for years. The 47-year-old mother of two had gone to college earlier in life but never finished, and then marriage and parenting took over. But when she saw the success story of a 40-something mom and friend, Anne Pandian, on the OCC website, she knew it was time. "After I read the story I called her and told her she was doing great, and going to school was in the back of my mind. She said 'you should totally do it!
Onondaga Community College student Eric Shear has figured out a way to bring together two of the things he's most passionate about, adoption and hockey, into one special event. On the night of Friday, December 16 when the Syracuse Crunch hockey team hosts the Springfield Thunderbirds, Shear will be there raising money for Onondaga County Foster Care. "This is special. When I realized this was going to happen, I was over the moon. It was a little idea I had in my head to give back to the community I know and love."
There's a new place on the Onondaga Community College campus designed to help adult learners as they juggle the demands of parenthood with earning a college degree. The Parent and Adult Learner Suite, also known as "PALS," opened earlier this semester. It's a child-friendly room where student-parents can work on individual or group assignments while their children enjoy supervised play. The room consists of:
If you are a CSTEP student, you may be eligible to apply for this scholarship. If you have any questions, please contact the CSTEP team.
Ten years ago the dream of life in America motivated Romeo Kpolo to leave his home in Africa and come to the United States. Today he has an office on the 4th floor of Syracuse City Hall where he works as a Civil Engineer. "Syracuse gave me so much. I want to give back. Working there makes me happy. Friends tell me I could do jobs outside and make more money. I tell them 'I know but I want to work for the city and give back.'"
Isaiah Bedoar has transformed himself from an average student at West Genesee High School to a high achieving one at Onondaga Community College. Earlier this semester he was inducted into the college's chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. "I do a lot better in environments where I can get thoughts out there and work with people. I blossom where I have the freedom to learn and the freedom to apply what I've learned. I've completely skyrocketed here."
