OCC Student Becomes a U.S. Citizen in Storer Auditorium

Juhudi Boazi had been dreaming about this day for as long as he can remember. On October 18 he became a United States citizen during a Naturalization Ceremony held in Onondaga Community College's Storer Auditorium. "This is a very special day for me and my family. I'm the first in my family to be an American citizen. I'm very happy."

Boazi was one of 75 people sworn-in during the ceremony by Honorable Magistrate Judge David E. Peebles. Boazi is a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa and an OCC student. He began taking classes here during his junior year at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central as part of the P-TECH program. It stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School. The program provides high school students the opportunity to work toward their high school diploma and associate degree simultaneously, and ultimately a pathway to an in-demand job.

Boazi graduated from Syracuse ITC in June of 2021 and became a full-time OCC student one year ago. In December he will complete work toward his Mechanical Technology degree, then transfer to a four-year school. "P-TECH is really helpful for refugees and immigrants. When you are new here it's hard to be successful, especially when you don't have the money. P-TECH is free. It saves me having to pay for two years of college."

Congratulations Juhudi Boazi and all of our new American citizens!