P-TECH Profile: Niyogushima Nuru

Niyogushima Nuru began thinking about an engineering-related career in 6th grade. "Things like robotics really grabbed my attention back then. When I started hearing about P-TECH it seemed like something perfect for me."

P-TECH 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.

Nuru chose to attend high school at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central and focus on Mechanical Technology. During her junior year she began taking classes on the Onondaga Community College campus. "You have to stay on top of your work. In college if you fall behind it can be hard to catch up."

She received her high school diploma in 2021 and became a full-time student at OCC that fall. She will complete her Mechanical Technology degree in December.

Nuru, who is the oldest of 11 children, has always been good at math. This summer she hopes to do an internship at Johns Hopkins University for biomedical engineering. "I've always wanted to study biomedical engineering. Growing up I wanted to be a doctor. But when I got introduced to engineering, I wanted to do something that would include both biology and engineering."