Student Spotlight: Kimberly Seipio

Going through high school during Covid drained Kimberly Seipio. So when she graduated from Henninger in 2021, she decided she needed a year off. "If I would have gone right to college I wouldn't have been in my best mental state. I would have been wasting my time and money because I didn't know what I wanted to go to school for."

Seipio spent time traveling and weighing her options. She considered herself to be a very creative person who loved to learn, appreciated the arts, and enjoyed reading. Her quest to find something she could be passionate about led her to dream of one day opening a holistic medicine shop. "Staying healthy is so important. The earth gives us what we need. I suffered from anemia. I tried iron pills and they weren't helping me. I changed my diet, ate a lot of lentils and beets, and found that helped me more."

Having decided on what she wanted to do, her next decision was how she would get there. "I thought about it logically. I knew community college gets a bad rap. But you are getting the same education for less money."

This fall she enrolled in Onondaga Community College's Business Technology degree program. In her first two months on campus she's come to realize she made the perfect choice. "I really enjoy it here. Every single class I've had has been beneficial for me. This environment has made me love school again."

Last month she received an unexpected surprise when she was chosen to introduce Alumni Faces honoree Jesse Wilson '12 at the induction ceremony. Wilson is a West Genesee High School graduate who completed his Business Technology degree here at age 18, started a business, and today his "Ish Guitars" sells 2,500 guitars annually around the world. "I was super honored to do that. And Jesse was super nice. He was like 'if you ever need advice we can talk.' Now I have all of these networking opportunities."

During the Alumni Faces ceremony Seipio was extremely comfortable while speaking at the podium. "I love the stage and I love public speaking. When I was younger I was in a community theater group. I also used to dance for cultural events, traditional Puerto Rican events."

It's impossible to see Seipio without noticing her beautiful hair. She used to straighten it regularly but eventually realized it was damaged. Three years ago she cut it short and hasn't cut it since. "I realized I needed a change. Now it grows so fast and so much because I focus more on its health than how long it is. I think it's a reflection of my life. My hair is my life!"