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Life in the United States is a gift Noel Ponthuit gets to enjoy every day. He's a native of the Congo who lost his father at age 2, and spent 20 years in a Rwandan refugee camp before immigrating to America. "I had a dream. I wanted to go to the U.S. We had been dreaming about being here since I was a kid."

What are you grateful for this holiday season? The answer is easy for Haseeb Ahmadi.

He left Afghanistan three years ago in search of a better life and found it in the United States. He's working full-time and taking classes full-time while pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity at Onondaga Community College.

"I am very grateful for this country and everyone here who has helped me. I am grateful to Americans for giving me this chance and this opportunity. I am able to work and earn money. I am able to study and fulfill my dream of higher education in this great country."

The coolest new learning space on the Onondaga Community College campus is located in Coulter Hall. The "Innovative Learning Lab" opened for classes at the start of the fall 2024 semester, providing students with a unique environment to learn in. "It's a nice change of pace. It's very colorful and very interactable. It helps me stay focused. It's a whole lot easier to make eye contact, to see each other, and have a conversation," said Jamison Schafer, a Social Sciences major and Cicero-North Syracuse High School graduate.

College didn't go well for Katie Doshna the first time she tried it, so the mother of four decided to wait until later in life. Once she hit her 40s, she knew the time was right. "My kids were old enough and I was ready. My oldest daughter is in 10th grade and I wanted to instill in them that 'hard work pays off' mentality."

Throughout the week we are highlighting students who are completing their degrees this month. Today we introduce you to Kyrillos Dawoud.

Onondaga Community College celebrated the accomplishments of its graduating students during commencement December 11 in the SRC Arena. Approximately 230 students were eligible to participate in the ceremony.

December 11 is one of those dates Rania Estefanous will always remember. It ranks right up there with her daughter's birthdays, her wedding day, and the day she arrived in America. On December 11 she completed her Nursing degree at Onondaga Community College. "This was my dream since I came to the United States. I can't believe my dream came true."

Estefanous immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt in 2005. Five years later she became an American citizen. She had earned a college degree in Egypt and was working as a dietician, but she realized it wasn't the career she wanted here.

Throughout the week we are highlighting students who are completing their degrees this month. Today we introduce you to Jayden Allen.

When Jayden Allen graduated from Central Square High School two years ago, he knew he wanted to go to college but wasn't sure which degree program to choose. That brought him to Onondaga Community College. "I thought if I came here I would have a lot of broad options to choose from. And if I didn't know yet (what to study), I'd be able to get all of my prerequisites done."

Throughout the week we are highlighting students who are completing their degrees this month. Today we introduce you to Heather Patrick.

Heather Patrick's journey to an Onondaga Community College degree began in 2018. It concludes this month when she completes her American Sign Language (ASL) degree. "There have been moments I wish I could just freeze them forever. This is one of them. I feel like I finally made it. It's been a long hard journey, so these moments are beyond special for me."