2022 Alumni Faces Honoree: Steve Schill '78

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 Thursday, October 6 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 leading up to the event we are proudly profiling our honorees on our website and social media. Today we recognize Steve Schill '78.

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-in-law earned her Accounting degree here. Steve and Kathleen's daughter Susan and son Robert both attended OCC. And Steve's brother graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. It's clear Steve Schill and his family learned what an amazing value OCC was and kept coming back for more. "It's a great place to start. I think it's even more important now than when I was going to OCC. I don't think kids are as prepared for college now as they were. Starting out at OCC as opposed to going to a four-year college that's costing $50,000 a year without having support structure at home is a lot more difficult now than when I was a kid. OCC is a great place to get your feet wet."

One year after graduating from OCC, Schill was hired to work at Inficon and never left. Inficon is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and advanced process software that enhances productivity and quality in sophisticated industrial vacuum processes. Today Schill is Inficon's Senior Director of Global Sales Projects.

During his 43 years there Schill has maintained close ties to OCC. He served on the OCC Foundation Board from 2008 to 2014, he's been part of the College's Perkins Grant committee which connects employers needs with what is being taught in related degree programs on campus. He's also a mentor in the P-TECH program at the Syracuse Institute for Technology where students will eventually come to OCC for either Electrical Technology or Mechanical Technology.

Schill returned to campus recently and joined us for a conversation on our podcast, "Chatting About College." You can listen to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you download fine podcasts from by searching "Chatting About College." Enjoy the podcast!