Ceremony Will Be Livestreamed on OCC’s YouTube Channel
Five Onondaga Community College graduates will be recognized tonight as distinguished Alumni Faces honorees for their professional achievements and contributions to the college and the community. Their accomplishments will be highlighted during an induction ceremony, and their likenesses and inspirational success stories will be added to the Alumni Faces display on campus.
“We’re so proud of this class of Alumni Faces honorees. They came here from a variety of backgrounds with the common goal of bettering their lives through higher education. Their success stories and accomplishments are an inspiration to our entire campus community. We look forward to welcoming them back and celebrating their achievements,” said OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton.
Induction Ceremony: Tonight at 5:30 p.m.
The event is taking place at The Frederick Marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall, Academic II building, Onondaga Community College, 4585 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse 13215-4585. Academic II is the building which spans the Furnace Brook Gorge and is labeled on the campus map with the letter “P.” Most convenient place for media to park is lot 7.
Livestream: The ceremony will be livestreamed on OCC’s YouTube Channel for media to access. The livestream team, which includes students and faculty members, is led by OCC Broadcast Media Communications Department Chair and Professor Tony Vadala.
OCC’s Alumni Faces Class of 2022:
Hassina Adams ‘17
- Before OCC: Immigrated to the United States from South Africa
- OCC Degree: Humanities and Social Sciences
- Profession: Aspiring Immigration Attorney
- Hassina plans to become an immigration attorney who advocates for refugees and underrepresented people. She currently works as a Paralegal in the City of Syracuse’s Law Department. While attending OCC, she was her younger siblings’ legal guardian and taught middle school-aged girls at the North Side Learning Center.
Dr. Danielle R. Berry ‘13
- Before OCC: Homeschooled, from Syracuse
- OCC Degree: Mathematics & Science
- Profession: Chemist and Senior Research Specialist at Dow
- Danielle enrolled at OCC at age 16 where the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program introduced her to laboratory research opportunities. She earned her bachelor’s degree at SUNY-ESF and her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Richard Calagiovanni ‘68
- Before OCC: Jamesville-Dewitt High School
- OCC Degree: General Studies
- Profession: WCNY TV Production Manager
- Six decades ago while serving on OCC’s Student Government, Dick lobbied County Legislators to build a new OCC campus on Onondaga Hill. He spent 29 years in leadership roles at WCNY TV, and in retirement continues to produce videos for non-profit organizations such as the Onondaga Historical Association, the Veterans History Project, the Town of Onondaga Historical Society, and Honor Flight Syracuse.
Steve Schill ‘78
- Before OCC: Fowler High School
- OCC Degree: Electrical Engineering
- Profession: Senior Director at Inficon
- Steve has spent his entire professional career at Inficon where he is the Senior Director of Global Sales Projects. He’s served OCC as a member of the Foundation Board, the Perkins Grant Committee, a mentor to students in the P-TECH program, and a frequent speaker on campus.
Jesse Wilson ‘12
- Before OCC: West Genesee High School
- OCC Degree: Business Technology
- Profession: Entrepreneur
- Jesse started taking classes at OCC while he was in high school and earned his degree at age 18. He owns and operates “Ish Guitars” on Teall Avenue and sells 2,500 guitars annually to customers around the world. He also owns a Ferrari with “OCC GRAD” license plates.
