Si Po Ra still can't believe it. She received an early Christmas present this month when SUNY named her one of just 45 students statewide to receive the Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence. The award recognizes outstanding students in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) for their academic excellence and strength in overcoming significant personal obstacles throughout their lives. "I never thought I would win an award. It makes me feel proud of myself. It's a new step for me. It has helped boost my confidence."
Ra came to the United States from the Southeast Asian nation of Burma 10 years ago along with her parents and three siblings. She graduated from Syracuse's Henninger High School in June 2019 and that summer took part in OCC's EOP Summer Bridge Program. "It prepared me to come to OCC. We learned where things were on campus and how much work we would do in college."
When Ra enrolled at OCC that fall, she became a fixture in OCC's EOP office on the second floor of Coulter Hall. "I liked coming here. Sometimes I would do school work, sometimes I just liked to talk to people and relax. I felt comfortable here. There was always someone here for me."
Denise Valdes is the Director of OCC's EOP program. She's seen Ra working hard every day and knows how significant receiving this award is to her. "When you are underrepresented and that's how you grow up it's easy to feel like you don't deserve those kind of accolades. They become normalized for other people in other spaces but not for you. All of this recognition makes her feel part of a larger community. She's such a remarkable student and she works so hard. She's always in class and she's always here. We love her."
Ra will earn her degree in Humanities & Social Sciences next May. She plans to transfer and pursue a bachelor's degree in International Relations so she can one day work for a not-for-profit and help those in need. Wherever her journey takes her, she'll always remember the foundation she built for herself in OCC's EOP office. "EOP is my family and is a big part of me. They helped me a lot when I came here. They supported me both emotionally and with my school work."
You can learn more about OCC's EOP program by emailing us at eopoffice@sunyocc.edu or by calling 315-498-2428.
