More than 600 graduates walked across the stage at Onondaga Community College’s graduation ceremony held on Saturday in Syracuse, N.Y.
Approximately 660 students qualified to take part in the commencement ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday at the SRC Arena on campus, according to Roger Mirabito, an OCC spokesman.
Meghan Bird served as the student speaker. At 36 years old, she is finishing up her degree in health sciences with ambitions to enroll at SUNY Upstate Medical University to pursue a career as an MRI technician.
Other graduates included Shelly Dunham,53, who is a mother of three and has worked in retail for more than 30 years. She decided to attend OCC after the store she worked with closed.
Dio Brown
, aged 35, earned a degree in electromechanical technology following a period of homelessness in Syracuse. The courses taken by Brown equipped them well for working in the semiconductor sector with businesses such as
Micron Technology
.
During the ceremony, four honorary degrees were awarded:
-
Melanie Littlejohn,
president and CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation. -
Heather Drake-Bianchi,
Chief Executive Officer and Intensive Care Paramedic at Drakos Clinical Dynamics. -
Mary Porcari Brady,
founder of the Mary Porcari Brady Fund -
Judge Ava Raphael and Dr. Irving Raphael
founders of the Lillian Slutzker Honors College.
Earlier in the day, the school held a pinning ceremony for 37 nursing students.
GAPTEKZONE
Staff Writer Timia Cobb handles breaking news. If you have a lead, a story suggestion, an inquiry, or feedback, she can be contacted at
tcobb@GAPTEKZONE.
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