Ashley Homer '18 always dreamed of attending college, but knew as a first-generation college student she would face unique challenges. She was determined to overcome the barriers and turned to her advocates at On Point for College and Hillside Children's Center during her time at Corcoran High School. Through meaningful conversations with her mentors she came to realize attending Onondaga Community College would provide her with a great education at an affordable cost and keep her support network nearby.
Homer chose to pursue a Human Services degree and live on campus. She struggled through her first semester, then decided to lean on her network for help. "I met with my Hillside contact on campus and she outlined a number of places I could go for help." Those included the Educational Opportunity Program, Coulter Library, and the Learning Center for tutoring. Her advisor, Steve White, also played an instrumental role by helping her lay out a clear academic path so she would understand what it would take to earn a degree at OCC and transfer to Syracuse University (S.U.).
While spending more time in Coulter Library she met her significant other, Marcus Webb '17. He would earn his OCC degree, then transfer to S.U. She would graduate a year later, go to work as an Early Heart Start Teacher, and enroll at S.U. in 2019.
Homer spent four years at S.U. while completing her bachelor's and master's degrees. Outside class she interned with the Allyn Foundation in their Women's Health and Empowerment movement, served as Intern Program Coordinator at On Point, and was a Social Work intern at Corcoran High School.
Homer and Webb recently welcomed their first child, Marley. Homer is going through the process of becoming a social worker, driven by her desire to give back to a community that invested so much in her. Simultaneously she started her own catering business, Motherlode Charcuterie, which can be found on Facebook and Instagram. "I feel so blessed and I can't wait to start giving back and serving in a supportive role for others. Going to OCC was one of the best decisions of my life. The support I received there as a student and a person created the foundation for me to be successful at S.U."
