The week of October 21-25 is National Transfer Student Week. Onondaga Community College will host a Transfer Fair Wednesday, October 23 in the Gordon Student Center Great Room from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Students will have the opportunity to have in-person conversations with representatives of colleges and universities where they are interested in continuing their education. Between now and then, we are sharing stories with you daily of students who earned their associate degrees at OCC and transferred to four-year institutions.
Isaiah Bedoar's journey to becoming an outstanding college student began in the summer of 2021. Shortly after receiving his diploma from West Genesee High School where he says he was "an average student," he came to Onondaga Community College for the Educational Opportunity Program's (EOP) Pre-Freshman Institute. It provides students the opportunity to live on campus, take two college classes, and get a feel for what college is all about before thousands of students show up for the fall semester. "Earning those credits and getting into the college experience was so helpful. It made the transition a lot smoother for me."
After an outstanding first semester in the Creative Writing program, he was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Bedoar also worked in Coulter Library. And when he wasn't working or in class, he could often be found in the EOP office. "They always made sure I had what I needed to be successful. In higher education it can take a lot of time to get things done. If I went to EOP and asked for help with something, it was done right away."
In 2023, Bedoar became a third-generation OCC graduate, joining his mother and grandmother who also completed their degrees at OCC. "As I look back on it, I feel satisfied. I feel like the whole world was opened up to me in English. Getting down to the bones of literary theory is something that was life changing, and I feel like so much of it was having good mentors at OCC."
Bedoar transferred to SUNY Oswego where he is majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in English. He compiled a 3.8 grade point average in his first year there. "Going in to Oswego I felt really prepared. In terms of mental focus, I was basically doing the same work I did at OCC."
This semester he's an RA in the residence hall. After completing his associate degree debt-free, he'll also leave SUNY Oswego without any loans to pay off. His decision to start at OCC was the perfect one for him. "It was so easy to go there... to set your schedule, to get help with technology or anything else. If anyone asks me if it's better to start at a two-year or a four-year school, I say 'there's no point in not going to a community college.'"
