Dr. Daryll Dykes, ‘83 is an amazing example of how someone can use a community college education to transform their life. After graduating from Fowler High School he joined the United States Marine Corps with the goal of using his military service to pay for college. After his honorable discharge, Dykes came to Onondaga Community College and began his academic journey. Today he is one of the nation’s top spine surgeons with Upstate Orthopedics.
When coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, forced OCC students out of the classroom, the OCC Foundation responded swiftly by creating the Lazer Reponse Fund to support students facing tremendous challenges in an unprecedented situation. “For many OCC students who were already stretched to the limit, this situation pushed them to the breaking point with lost jobs, gaping technology holes, and kids and families to juggle,” said OCC President Dr. Casey Crabill.
When Dykes realized how desperate the need was for current students he decided to support the effort with a generous gift to the Lazer Response Fund. He also sent us the following letter, reflecting on what his time at OCC meant to him and called on all alumni to join him in supporting today’s students.
”Five years ago as I prepared to give the Honors Speech at my law school commencement ceremony, I had the opportunity to reflect - more deeply than usual - on the pathway to where I stood in life. As I thought about what I would say to those in the audience, I recalled the 1957 sermon given by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which read in relevant part:
No matter where you stand, no matter how much popularity you have, no matter how much education you have, no matter how much money you have, you have it because somebody in the universe helped you get it. And when you see that, you can’t be arrogant, you can’t be supercilious. You discover that you have your position because of the events of history and because of individuals in the background making it possible for you to stand there.
Instantly, there was no doubt in my mind that these words and sentiments would frame my speech.
Commencement day ultimately came and, as I recited Dr. King’s words, I (like I hoped my audience would, too) recalled the prominent events and individuals in the background making it possible for me to stand there. Of course, I was grateful for the enduring encouragement and support of my family and friends, but this backing was what I expected to give and receive from loved ones. More remarkable for me in that moment was the invaluable knowledge and guidance I had received from dedicated teachers and mentors along my quixotic journey from the James Geddes housing project on Syracuse’s west side to college, to graduate school, medical school, orthopedic surgery residency, a successful orthopedic practice, the top spot in my law school class in Minnesota, the United States Congress, the White House, and the FDA. I had achieved success beyond my wildest dreams, due largely to support born of predilection, passion and preference, rather than affection, instinct or duty. This was support that catalyzed and cultivated the very possibility that I would stand on the podium that day. Most importantly, this was support that had spanned my entire scholastic experience - from kindergarten through college, graduate school, medical school and law school - but began in its fullest effect with the faculty and staff at Onondaga Community College.
Young, fresh out of the Marine Corps, uneducated, and frankly sleepless about what I would do with the rest of my life, OCC provided a unique opportunity to explore educational opportunities, expand my fund of knowledge and build academic skills that would have been impossible in any other environment. While I had the fuel, it was the dedicated faculty and staff at OCC that sparked my enthusiasm that would facilitate my success in efforts to follow. At that moment, I recognized that my personal and professional successes constituted prima facie (i.e. lawyer’s speak for “Thank you Captain Obvious!”) evidence of the value of OCC’s mission, values, faculty, and staff. Between that moment and my OCC commencement ceremony thirty-two years earlier, I had achieved unimaginable success as a scientist, physician, entrepreneur, and community leader that had been recognized as a 2009 Alumni Faces honoree. At that moment, I recognized that I was just one beneficiary of the “transformative power of an OCC education” and “the promise of self-discovery that the College commits to every student, every day.”
I am happy that OCC remains our community’s most important resource for higher education, but I am concerned that its mission - and the fate of countless students - are threatened by the unprecedented academic, financial, personal, professional, and societal challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. There has never been a greater need for us to realize that we each have our position in life because of the events of history and because of individuals in the background making it possible for us to stand there, and there has never been a greater need for alumni to band together to support OCC, OUR Community College! Please join me in strongly supporting OCC through a generous contribution to the Lazer Reponse Fund.”
-Dr. Darryl Dykes, ‘83
