Second Chance Career: Greg Minix, '15

Greg Minix turned a negative into a positive and wound up with a second career. The Marathon, New York native was working at New Process Gear (NPG) when the plant closed in August 2012. Minix’s severance package gave him the opportunity to go back to school at NPG’s expense and he took advantage, choosing to attend OCC. “It was kind of my second chance at life. I was able to study graphic design, something I had loved since I was a kid.”

The computer software used by Graphic Design students was new to Minix. He was concerned he wouldn’t be able to learn everything in two years but the Art department faculty and staff gave him the support he needed and encouraged him to never settle for anything less than the best. “They were phenomenal. They’re real artists and they treated the classroom much like a professional environment. The relationship was more like employer to employee rather than teacher to student.” Minix credited Professors Bruce Osborn, Steven Ryan, Jill Doscher, Donalee Wesley and department secretary Kathy Tracy with being instrumental in his success both in the classroom and beyond.

Minix earned his degree in December 2015 and was hired a short time later as a graphic artist with the Syracuse New Times where tens of thousands of people see his work in the weekly newspaper. When he’s creating a cover design or advertisement he finds himself thinking back to assignments at OCC and words his instructors often shared with him. “Regardless of your program, OCC has all the tools you need to make your time there successful. All you have to do is use them, expand upon them and run with it like I did!”