Public

The spring induction ceremony for Onondaga Community College's chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society always has a special feel to it. The event includes a recap of outstanding achievements during the academic year, recognition of milestones earned by current student members, news about chapter-wide honors, and the induction of new members.

Niyogushima Nuru began thinking about an engineering-related career in 6th grade. "Things like robotics really grabbed my attention back then. When I started hearing about P-TECH it seemed like something perfect for me."

P-TECH stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School. The program provides high school students the opportunity to work toward their high school diploma and associate degree simultaneously, and ultimately a pathway to an in-demand job.

Employers looking for workers and students looking for work came together at the School of Computing & Applied Technologies Career Showcase. "I was blown away by the turnout," said Professor Mike Grieb who is Chair of the School of Computing & Applied Technologies. "The need is real. This was a great opportunity for us to show all of the work we've been doing to evolve our programs and make them stronger, connect our students with the workplace, and create a lot of excitement. This was a big success."

Noa Ford spent much of her life struggling to survive, leading her to focus her education and eventual career on helping others. "I've been on my own since I was 16. In high school I was hopping from couch to couch. Being older and being able to get a place on my own with help from people here at OCC and others reinforced I need to get into social work. I need to be that person."

Keith Hale '18 has a message for any student considering attending the upcoming Applied Technologies Career Showcase on the OCC campus. "Opportunities like this can be life changing. It's an opportunity to get into an actual career where you retire with benefits. However important you think the future is, that's how important it is to not miss an opportunity like this."

Onondaga Community College alumnus Ryan Dean's unexpected journey home to Central New York began with a message on social media and an email to one of his former OCC professors who is also the News Director at WSYR-TV, Newschannel 9.

Christopher Perdue has gotten use to younger students in the Fire Protection Technology degree program calling him 'dad.' ‘It use to drive me nuts but now I think of it as a term of endearment.”

Perdue is a Student Veteran who went from Henninger High School to the United States Navy. He spent 7-and-a-half years serving his country, then returned home to Central New York.

Throughout the month of March, Onondaga Community College celebrated Women's History Month. A series of related events gave members of the campus community the opportunity to commemorate and encourage the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.