Meet Our 2022 SUNY Chancellor's Award Winners

Three Onondaga Community College students are being honored with SUNY Chancellor's Awards this year, including one who is the only student in the entire SUNY system to receive the "Special Award for Overcoming the Odds."

OCC's honorees are: 

Cheyenne Sinchico

• Came to the United States from Ecuador in 2014.
• Graduated from PSLA at Fowler in 2020.
• Will complete her Human Services degree next month.
• Member of OCC's Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Educational Opportunity Program, and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program.
• Plans to transfer to a four-year SUNY school.
• Career goal is to become a counselor.

Katie Sullivan

• Graduated from Jamesville-Dewitt High School in 2020.
• Attended OCC tuition-free as a member of the Lillian Slutzker Honors College.
• Will complete her Humanities & Social Sciences degree next month.
• Co-President of OCC's Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
• Plans to transfer to a four-year school and pursue a degree in Communications.

Damon Gilstrap

• Will receive the "Special Award for Overcoming the Odds."
• Survived three brain tumors and a stroke.
• Earned his high school equivalency in 2019 and enrolled at OCC at age 53.
• Wrote a book about his life titled "From Tragedy to Homeless to Triumph."
• Member of OCC's Educational Opportunity Program and Extraordinary Men of Distinction organization.
• Will complete his Human Services degree next month.

All three SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence winners will be recognized during a ceremony in Albany April 26.