2022 Pinnacle Award Winners

Onondaga Community College honored its 2022 Pinnacle Award winners during a ceremony held May 4 in the SRC Arena's Otis Suite. The Pinnacle program recognizes students who have shown excellence in one or more of the following fields: leadership, civic engagement, and scholarly research. Students selected demonstrated not only an exemplary academic performance, but also a strong connection with the campus or community. OCC President Dr. Casey Crabill  applauded the honorees on being chosen. "You know how many people are in each of your programs. You're the ones. Congratulations on being that light, on being that presence, on being that thing people see when they look out. Because of your modeling and your participation there are a whole bunch of students behind you who say 'I want to be that.'"

OCC's 2022 honorees and the cohort which nominated them are:

Connor Burkhart - Office of Accessibility and Resources (OAR)

• Connor is a 2007 graduate of West Genesee High School who is in the Human Services degree program and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society. Connor brought OAR and PTK together for a Human Library event during which he shared his struggles with mental health.

Lorena Castillo-Patino - Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP)

• Esteffany is a native of Colombia who came to the United States in 2017 and graduated from Jamesville-Dewitt High School in 2020. She's attending OCC tuition-free as a member of the Lillian Slutzker Honors College. She's active in C-STEP and a member of the PTK honor society leadership team.

Jake Humes - Athletic Department

• Jake was a model student-athlete, playing for the Lazers baseball team and earning membership in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. He came to OCC from Batavia High School, attending tuition-free as a member of the Lillian Slutzker Honors College. He also served the campus community as a Student Ambassador, giving tours to prospective students.

Joe Logiudice - Student Orientation, Leadership & Engagement

• Joe is a 2007 graduate of East Syracuse Minoa High School who served as President of Student Government and earned membership in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society thanks to his perfect 4.0 grade point average in the Humanities & Social Sciences degree program. He was always willing to speak with people about the power of therapy and how it turned his life around. His career goal is to become a therapist.

Brian McDonald - Office of Veterans and Military Services

• Brian is a 2006 graduate of Cicero-North Syracuse High School who spent 6 years serving his country in the United States Marine Corps. After completing his service he became a certified crane operator who worked on major local projects such as the amazon building in Liverpool and the new roof at the Carrier Dome. Brian  enrolled at OCC in the fall of 2021 and earned a 4.0 in the Human Services degree program. He plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in social work.

Everine Mukeshimana - Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)

• Everine grew up in a refugee camp in Africa surrounded by sickness. She dreamed of one day coming to America, earning a college degree, and becoming a nurse so she could help people improve their health. Everine immigrated to the U.S. in 2019, graduated from Corcoran High School one year later, and came to OCC. She was a regular presence in the EOP office, was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, and conducted scientific research as part of a summer program at SUNY Binghamton.

Brandon Phelps - Residence Life

• Brandon is a Resident Assistant in the residence hall who came to OCC from Lowville High School. He owns a 4.0 grade point average in the Music degree program and plans to also enroll in the Adolescent Education degree program as he works to become a music teacher.

Lydia Randall - International Students

• Lydia is setting an example for her 9 younger siblings as she works to become the first in her family to earn a college degree. She came to the United States from Ghana three years ago. During her time on the OCC campus she worked in the bookstore, earned membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and received support from the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program. Lydia plans to transfer to Le Moyne College and study Nursing.

Saurav Sharma - TRIO

• Saurav immigrated to the U.S. from Nepal, graduated from Liverpool High School in 2020, and came to OCC. He settled into the Humanities & Social Sciences degree program and earned membership in the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. He's part of the PTK leadership team and the Honors program. Saurav is also a Peer Mentor and Program Assistant in TRIO/Student Support Services which helps participants succeed in classes, get their diploma, and then transfer to a four-year school or university.