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 Mark Frisina who completed his General Studies degree in the spring of 2021. Frisina attended OCC briefly after graduating from Henninger High School in 2008, returned more than a decade later and finished what he started. What makes his story unique is that he is assisting current students as a mentor while living in Tokyo, Japan where he works at a private bilingual preschool. "I hope some of my experiences can help other students. The past two years at OCC were incredibly fulfilling and really cemented my appreciation for higher education."

Leading the successful implementation of the program are Dean Tzivanis, an Advisor in our School of Math, Science & Engineering, and John Burns, an Advisor in our School of Art, Design, Media & Music. Both are our guests in this edition of our podcast, "Chatting About College." Enjoy the podcast!