Meet Our 2023 Statewide Award-Winning Students

Onondaga Community College students from Fayetteville-Manlius, Marcellus, New York Mills, and Nottingham High Schools are being honored with statewide recognition for excellence both inside and outside the classroom.

The SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence are handed out annually to students who have best demonstrated the integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives which may include leadership, campus involvement, athletics, career achievement, community service, or creative and performing arts. It is the highest award which can be bestowed upon a SUNY student. OCC's 2023 SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence winners are:

Nick Chai

• High School: Fayetteville-Manlius, class of 2015
• Degree: Engineering Science
• Nick tried college right out of high school but left during his second year. He went to work as a waiter, and then a welder. He eventually came to OCC and excelled. Nick tutored fellow students in calculus, chemistry, and physics and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. He also worked as a circus performer and played a key role in bringing a circus performance to Syracuse's Dr. Weeks School as part of a "day of play" presented by OCC's PTK Honor Society.

Hannah Durand

• High School: Marcellus, class of 2021
• Degree: Mathematics & Science
• Hannah was an outstanding student, athlete, and member of the campus community. She was a member of the Lillian Slutzker Honors College, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, played Women's Basketball and was voted Conference Player of the Year during the 2022-2023 season, and was the Student Trustee on the Board of Trustees.

Three OCC students were named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-New York Academic Team for their distinguished academic achievements and leadership accomplishments. One is Nick Chai who also received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. The others are:

Amira Busuladzic

• High School: New York Mills, class of 2020
• Degree: Human Services
• Amira is an Emergency Medical Technician with the Tully Fire Department who began attending OCC in 2021. She was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Amira plans to dedicate her career to helping children who are victims of domestic violence.

Nick Sprague

• High School: Fayetteville-Manlius, class of 2021
• Degree: Engineering Science
• Nick graduated from high school in just three years, excelled in science, and decided to stay close to home and major in Engineering Science at OCC. He plans to transfer and pursue a degree in Mechanical Technology.

Recipients of both the SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence and members of the Phi Theta Kappa All-New York Academic Team will be recognized during ceremonies in Albany April 24.

Each year, one student in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at each SUNY school is selected to receive the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. EOP is a Comprehensive Support program that plays a pivotal role in opening doors to a SUNY education for academically disadvantaged students from low-income families. OCC's recipient is:

Yasmin Hassan

• High School: Nottingham, class of 2021
• Degree: Human Services
• Yasmin immigrated to the United States from Somalia and became a leader on the OCC campus. She was a member of Student Government, EOP, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, and the TRIO opportunity outreach program. She plans to continue her education and one day work with refugees and immigrants and assist them in the same way her family was helped.

Yasmin will be recognized during a ceremony in Albany April 17.

"This is such an outstanding group of students who represent the diversity of our campus community," said OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton. "Each student took a distinctly different path to arrive at this moment in their academic journey. We are proud of each of them for their perseverance, and the recognition they have earned as the best the SUNY System has to offer."