In the latest edition of our podcast, "Chatting About College," we're joined by Onondaga Community College Class of 2024 Commencement Student Speaker Melissa Duran. She's a native of Ecuador who immigrated to the United States with the dream of becoming a surgeon. She's about to complete her Surgical Technology degree. During her time at OCC she ea…

It's not unusual for students to travel to warm climates during spring break. But for 10 Onondaga Community College students who are also Meg O'Connell Social Justice Scholars, their trip to Puerto Rico last month was all about community service. "While we helped others, we learned so much and bonded through the experience. We lived the lifelong le…

Bella Gutkin hadn't been in a classroom for about a decade when she decided to visit Onondaga Community College and explore her options. "I wanted to come back to school and I took a while to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I liked the idea of working with electricity. I came in interested with everything the field entails." Gutkin is …

"It's like Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket!" That was Will Appleton's reaction when he learned he had been selected for a paid internship at Micron this summer. Appleton is a senior at Central Square High School and a Electrical Technology major at Onondaga Community College through the Pathways in Technology Early College High School program, which is…

Esports is the fastest growing sport in the world, and Onondaga Community College is proud to be part of that world. The Lazers have an Esports team and a sparkling Esports Arena! OCC student-athletes began competing on an intramural level during the fall 2022 semester while the Esports Arena was being built. In the spring 2023, the Arena opened as…

If you enjoy free hot chocolate and free tater tots during the first week of classes, you can thank members of Student Government! Officers have spent the semester break planning fun and informative activities for fellow students. Here's what is on tap for the first week of classes: Tuesday, January 30 - Hot Cocoa Bar from 11:30am to 1:30pm in the …

The roster is almost entirely new, but the outstanding results continue. Despite losing 90% of their scoring from the previous year, Onondaga Community College's Women's Basketball team is off to an 11-and-1 start. "Heading into our first scrimmage I was nervous. Heading out of our last scrimmage I was still nervous," said head Coach Kelly Seibt. "…

Onondaga Community College's Women's Soccer team entered the year with just two returning players. Despite that the Lazers have put together an outstanding regular season, winning 10 games and losing only 2. Coach Sean St. Denis has three captains on this year's team; sophomore Alex Ruzekowicz (West Genesee HS, Architectural Technology major), soph…

When Shayne Turo needed to hit the "reset" button on his life and start over, he turned to Onondaga Community College. "I was an LPN (licensed practical nurse) by trade when I had to have brain surgery and was coming out of a divorce. I came back to school to get back on my feet." Turo had graduated from Corcoran High School in 2002. Although the h…

If you are a student looking for help with a certain subject, or interested in improving your study skills, the Learning Center is the place to go. The Learning Center is located in Onondaga Community College's Gordon Student Center next to the cafeteria in room G202. Students can receive help with their coursework seven days a week. The Learning C…

With a new head coach and an almost entirely new roster, it's been a season of transition for the Onondaga Community College Men's Basketball team. "I feel like we're on the right track, even though our record might now indicate it right now," said Head Coach Joe Hulbert. "I'm incredibly optimistic. The guys seem to be too. We know we can do it and…

The Onondaga Community College Women's Basketball team begins the second half of the season this weekend with two big home games. Saturday the Lazers play North Country Community College at 1 p.m., and Sunday they challenge Division II Union College from New Jersey at 3 p.m. The Lazers enter this weekend's competition with a 5-and-3 record and are …

Onondaga Community College's Men's Soccer team is in great shape heading into the final games of the regular season and the start of the post-season. "We lost three games to nationally ranked teams which could have gone either way, we won the games we were supposed to, and we're happy with where we're at. The guys are playing well," said Head Coach…

Each year Onondaga Community College recognizes distinguished graduates who have made a difference in their community and professional life, naming them "Alumni Faces" honorees. Tonight 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 l…

Richard Calagiovanni is a many with many nicknames and many stories... including the time he crossed paths with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He discusses his amazing life in this edition of "Chatting About College." Calagiovanni graduated from Jamesville-Dewitt High School in 1966 and enrolled in OCC’s General Studies degree program at the downtown ca…

The Onondaga Community College Women's Soccer team is beginning to play well as it progresses into the season. "We're trending in the right direction," said Head Coach Sean St. Denis. "If we continue to play the way we are capable of playing, we should end up with an above .500 record and possibly contend for the regional championship. We've proven…

Steve Schill has been closely connected to OCC since arriving on campus from Sacred Heart and Fowler High School in the mid-70s. While spending his entire professional career at INFICON, where he has held positions in Operations, Engineering, Marketing, and currently the Senior Director of Global Sales Projects, Steve has been a member of the OCC F…

The 2022 edition of the Onondaga Community College Lazers Cross Country team includes a 40-year-old freshman! On this edition of our podcast, "Chatting About College," we're talking Cross Country with Head Coach Rob Colvin, 40-year-old Michael Lavalle, and traditional-aged student Dylan Sweeney who is a graduate of Jamesville-Dewitt High School. En…

His love of business began at age 7 when he would invite friends into his home and charge them to watch movies. Today Jesse Wilson '12 is a global guitar dealer with a growing business in Syracuse. And he's so proud of his Onondaga Community College degree, one of his cars is a Ferrari with license plates "OCC GRAD." Jesse Wilson shares his amazing…

More than 100,000 Americans die annually from drug overdoses and Rob Kent has dedicated his professional life to doing something about it. Kent is a Syracuse native and a 1982 graduate of Onondaga Community College who is serving as the General Counsel at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Kent visited campus recently, met with…

In this edition of "Chatting About College" we meet Hassina Adams '17, a member of our Alumni Faces class of 2022. Hassina and her three siblings immigrated to the United States as unaccompanied minors from South Africa. They quickly found a home at the North Side Learning Center, where Hassina taught middle-aged school girls while also raising her…

More than three dozen high school students from across the Syracuse City School District spent a month of their summer on the Onondaga Community College campus, taking part in the Liberty Partnerships Program which focused on making participants better students and citizens. "We were there to support each other and not judge each other, and to have…

Onondaga Community College welcomed a new leader on July 1 when Dr. Warren Hilton became its 9th President. The Philadelphia native comes to OCC from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania where we was Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. In this edition of our podcast "Chatting About College," Dr. Hilton tells us about his jo…

June 30 marked Dr. Casey Crabill's final day as President of Onondaga Community College. She retired after 9 years on campus, and more than 25 years as a community college President in four states. In her final appearance on our podcast she discussed her time on campus, we reviewed an amazing list of accomplishments during her tenure, and she share…

Two spring semesters ago, during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, Onondaga Community College made a seismic student-focused shift in its structure. All of the degree and certificate programs were organized into eight distinct Schools within OCC. The goal was to give students in like-minded courses of study a home on campus where they could g…

Students in Onondaga Community College's chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society are hosting a series of podcasts titled "Voices of Our Community" which introduce listeners to international students on our campus. In this edition PTK member Kyle Goff speaks with Khalid Quraishi of Afghanistan.By Higher Ed News You Can Use From Onondaga Community College

Students in Onondaga Community College's chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa are hosting a series of podcasts titled "Voices of Our Community" which introduce listeners to international students on our campus. In this episode PTK member John Baker has a conversation with Chengi who came to OCC from Botswana which is located in th…

Students in Onondaga Community College's chapter of international honor society Phi Theta Kappa are hosting a series of podcasts titled "Voice of Our Community" which introduce listeners to international students on our campus. In this episode PTK member Lorena Castillo-Patino interviews Mary Khoury who came to the United States from Syria.…

Three Onondaga Community College students have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-New York Academic Team for their distinguished academic achievements and leadership accomplishments. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of all community colleges. Their accomplishments, along with the achievements of all of New York State's honorees…

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. Students Olivia Kittleberger and Sarah Foley participated in t…

If you're a parent who works, goes to school, or both, you know how difficult it can be to find high-quality, affordable child care. The Children's Learning Center on the Onondaga Community College campus has been providing parents with a secure and nurturing environment for their children for decades. The Children's Learning Center is nationally a…

Onondaga Community College's Women's and Men's Basketball teams are about to play for national championships! The Women are in Rochester, Minnesota. The Lazers are seeded #3 and earned a first round bye in the tournament. Their first game will be Thursday at 9 p.m. eastern against the winner of the Rock Valley C.C./Hostos C.C. game. The Men are in …

Early next month Onondaga Community College Sound Recording Professor Shane Patterson will find out if he can say he worked on an album that won a Grammy Award. "It's a pleasant surprise to be part of this. It doesn't feel all that real. I won't be torn up if the project doesn't win but I'll be a little excited if it does. That would be pretty cool…

If you've been thinking about pursuing a rewarding career in Health Care, there's never been a better time to come to Onondaga Community College. Whether you are about to graduate from high school or an adult learner, we have a wide variety of options in our School of Health. Some will get you into the workforce in a matter of weeks, and others wil…

Kelly Grinnell-Seibt entered her first season as Head Coach of the Onondaga Community College Women's Basketball team with a group of players who had never played together. The new coach and top-to-bottom new roster won their first two games, lost their next two games, and haven't lost since. They enter the post-season with a 19 game winning streak…

Seven Onondaga Community College students in a variety of STEM-related degree programs took advantage of a new research opportunity over the semester break. They spent a week at Syracuse University working with Biology professors there as part of the new "BREW at SU" initiative. BREW stands for Biology Research Experience in Winter. It's the creati…

Onondaga Community College's SRC Arena will host Central New York's inaugural Maker Faire Syracuse this spring. The event will be held Saturday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is expected to attract more than 150 "makers" and 1,000 attendees. A Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love shari…

Onondaga Community College's new student mentoring program is off to a great start! "Lazer Link" provides incoming students the support they need to succeed by connecting them with designated returning students. In some cases, recent alumni are also participating and assisting new students with any advice and guidance they need. One of those is Mar…

Onondaga Community College has been a central figure in the life of Steve Schill '78 and three generations of his family. His mother, Peg Schill, worked at OCC for 33 years. Steve earned an Electrical Engineering degree here in 1978. His wife Kathleen graduated with a Business Administration degree in 1981 and a Nursing degree in 2003. His mother-i…

A 49-year-old mother from Georgia who is a United States Air Force Veteran is this year's student representative on the Board of Trustees. Catherine Hadden is serving as the Student Trustee while pursuing her Nursing degree. As Student Trustee she attends all board meetings, participates in executive sessions or closed-door portions of meetings, an…

After a year without basketball due to COVID-19. the Onondaga Community College Men's Basketball team is back in action. Leading the way for the Lazers are the highly decorated backcourt of Latyce Faison and Jahki Lucas. Two years ago as freshmen, Faison was named an All American and Lucas earned All Region honors. "Everything we do centers around …

Onondaga Community College's Women's Basketball team has a new leader for the first time 20 years. Kelly Grinnell-Seibt is in her first season as Head Coach of the Lazers. She succeeds Mike Wheeler who she both played for and worked under as an assistant. Grinnell-Seibt is a graduate of Auburn High School where she played Varsity Basketball for 4 y…

Each year Onondaga Community College helps thousands of area high school students get a head start on their college education by giving them the opportunity to earn college credits while they are in high school and prepare for what life on a college campus will be like. Programs geared toward high school students include: Pathways In Technology Ear…

Therapy turned Joe Logiudice's life around, and he wants you to know that if you are struggling with life's challenges it can do the same for you. He went from barely surviving in school and in life, to owning a perfect 4.0 grade point average and President of Onondaga Community College's Student Government. In December he'll earn his degree in Hum…

Some people call him Maurice. Others go with Mo. And his closest friends call him Mo Breezy. He's a man of many names and even more life experiences. And Maurice Brown has returned to OCC as a Success Coach in the College's School of Liberal Arts to guide students to where they want to go. "I want to be able to help people. I get to do that in this…

Onondaga Community College's Learning Center is giving students the assistance they need to do well in their coursework. The Learning Center is open 7 days a week and the services provided there are free. The Learning Center will serve more than 1,000 students during the fall semester. Students can receive tutoring in individual or small group sett…

Each year Onondaga Community College recognizes distinguished graduates who have made a difference in their community and professional life, naming them "Alumni Faces" honorees. Tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Frederick Marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall, we will pay tribute to the Alumni Faces Class of 2021. Today we are joined on "Chatting About Col…

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 Wednesday, October 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the Frederick Marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall, we will pay tribute to the Alumni Faces Class of 2021. In this editi…

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 Wednesday, October 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the Frederick marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall, we will pay tribute to the Alumni Faces Class of 2021. In the weeks …

Onondaga Community College's Women's Soccer team pulled out an overtime thriller at Adirondack Community College for their first win of the season on September 16. The Lazers tied the game with just 1:15 left in regulation, then scored the game winning goal in overtime for a 4-3 victory. The Women's Soccer team is the subject of this edition of our…