Alumna Making A Difference In The Community

When Jodi DeAugustine '89 graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School and came to Onondaga Community College, her plan was to stay for one semester, earn some college credits, and transfer to a four-year school. She was a first-generation college student who grew up in a single parent home and had been working since age 14 to help make ends meet.

DeAugustine decided to build her class schedule around business-related courses. "I was interested in leadership and management qualities even though I wasn't sure how I was going to apply them. I knew those skills would be valuable in whatever I decided to do." Once the semester began, she realized the educational value would extend far beyond the classroom.

Around the time she began taking classes at OCC, DeAugustine began a new job at Marine Midland Bank. She had always worked out of necessity. Her Business Law Professor, who was also an attorney, changed her perspective. "Through him I was exposed to how someone could love their career so much, they leveraged their skills to make their community a better place."

De Augustine would stay at OCC for more than one semester while continuing to think about how she could use her college degree to better the community. In 1989 she completed her associate degree and felt like everything was falling into place. "I was newly engaged and my current husband, mom, and my brother were all at graduation to cheer me on and celebrate this landmark achievement. It meant so much to me because I knew I had accomplished something special."

Following OCC, DeAugustine earned a paralegal certificate at Utica College of Syracuse University, then continued her education at SUNY Cortland where she majored in economics. "I was one of the few students in my program who wasn't going on to teach, but I found my business degree and paralegal certificate complimented the economics degree very well."

All through college DeAugustine worked at Marine Midland which had been bought and renamed HSBC. Once she earned her bachelor's degree, she received a promotion. For the first time in her working career, she wasn't going to school at the same time. It gave her more time to consider how she could impact the community.

While working in the banking industry for more than 20 years and raising a family, DeAugustine joined the boards of multiple non-profits including Vera House, Gigi's Playhouse Syracuse, National Down Syndrome Association, United Way/Women United, Dunbar Association, and the Food Bank of Central New York.

Four years ago Rockbridge Investment Management offered her a position which combined her strengths in business and finance with area non-profits. It would give her the opportunity to help them enhance their financial strategies and investment portfolios, allowing them to have a greater impact on the people they serve. She made the jump and is happy she did. "I feel very fortunate to be doing the work I am doing today, being able to see myself in the mold of some of my initial instructors at OCC. It's the best outcome I could have hoped for. At OCC you don't just get a degree, you learn how to be civic minded which is so important to the success of the community."