CNY – Onondaga Community College will hold its 59th gradation ceremony Saturday May 21. The following includes details concerning commencement activities:
WHEN: Tomorrow, Saturday May 21 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: SRC Arena, OCC campus, 4585 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse, NY 13215-4585.
WHAT: Onondaga Community College will celebrate its 59th commencement ceremony tomorrow, Saturday May 21 at 10 a.m. in the SRC Arena. Over 900 students are eligible to participate. They completed their coursework in either the fall 2021 semester, the spring 2022 semester, or will do so in the summer 2022 semester. No media credentials are required. Most convenient place for media to park is lot 12 which is behind the SRC Arena and will provide you quick access into and out of campus.
STUDENT INTERVIEWS: Students will be available prior to the event (approximately 9a.m. to 9:30a.m.) in the Allyn Hall Gymnasium where they check-in and line-up prior to processing into the SRC Arena. When you arrive please find me and I will help you get what you need.
STUDENT SPEAKER: Each year Onondaga Community College selects a graduating student to deliver the commencement address. This year’s speaker is Iannelis Castro Calderon. In 2020 she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class at Cicero-North Syracuse High School.
During her time here Iannelis was a leader in OCC’s chapter of honor society Phi Theta Kappa which last month was named the third best chapter in the world. She took part in a valuable internship at Interfaith Works as she completed her Human Services degree. Iannelis plans to transfer to a four-year school and pursue a degree and career in social work. A photo of Iannelis Castro Calderon is available at this Dropbox link.
GRADUATING STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS: OCC’s School of Health will graduate 99 students in in-demand programs such as Nursing, Health Information Technology, and Surgical Technology. Those students include:
- Kay Moses – Kay is a 43-year-old mother of five who spent most of her working years in retail before an unfortunate accident got her thinking about a career. When her father was seriously injured due to a hard fall on ice, his rehabilitation required extensive sessions with physical therapists. Kay was so impressed with how their work impacted his life, she decided she wanted to do the same for others. She came to OCC and earned a degree in the Physical Therapist Assistant program while juggling the demands of work and having a family.
- Ivo Perez Torres – Ivo began dreaming about leaving Cuba for the U.S. at age 17 when he learned English. Twenty years later he began his journey. He flew to Venezuela, then traveled through 10 countries over the course of a year before finally entering the U.S. He was given a list of places where he could resettle and chose Syracuse. Because he had attended nursing school in Cuba for a year, he started working immediately as a Certified Nursing Assistant. In January 2019 he enrolled at OCC. During the spring 2020 semester, Covid arrived and Ivo worked on the front lines at Crouse Hospital while pursuing his degree. He plans to keep working there while continuing his education and eventually become a Critical Care Registered Nurse.
- Joe Doyle – Joe first attended OCC in 2013 right after graduating from Baldwinsville High School but left after a year. He returned in 2020 and, while working full time, earned a 4.0 in the Health Sciences degree program. Inspired by the way in which his mother was treated by health care professionals while battling lung cancer, he will transfer into SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Radiation Therapy program where he plans to spend his career helping others.
SUNY HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREES: Two distinguished Onondaga Community College Alumna will receive SUNY Honorary Doctorate Degrees during the ceremony. The honorary doctorate degree is the highest form of recognition offered by the State University of New York to persons of exceptional distinction. The honorees are:
- Laurie Halse Anderson ‘81, Doctor of Humane Letters – Ms. Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold more than 8 million copies. Her most recent bestseller, “SHOUT,” is a memoir-in-verse about surviving sexual assault at the age of 13 and a manifesto for the #MeToo era. She earned a Humanities degree from OCC in 1981.
- Lanessa Owens-Chaplin ’03, Doctor of Humane Letters – Ms. Owens-Chaplin is an attorney and lead counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union, and has worked tirelessly to make sure the elevated portion of Interstate 81 is replaced with an equitable solution that elevates the voices of the residents who live in the highway’s shadows. She is a graduate of Henninger High School who earned a Humanities degree from OCC in 2003. While a student here she lived in the Pioneer Homes housing project which is located next to the elevated portion of Interstate 81.
FAREWELL CASEY: This will be the 9th and final commencement ceremony for retiring President Dr. Casey Crabill. She became OCC’s President July 1, 2013. Her final day will be June 30, 2022. New President Dr. Warren M. Hilton will take office July 1, 2022.
WATCH COMMENCEMENT LIVE: The ceremony can be viewed live on OCC’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The entire production crew will consist of current and past OCC Broadcast Media Communications students and faculty.
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