Student Spotlight: Brian McDonald

Brian McDonald needed someone to point him in the right direction. That someone turned out to be Steve White, Director of Onondaga Community College's Office of Veterans and Military Services. McDonald was considering coming back to college last July when he walked into White's office. "He told me the strongest word in the English language is 'imagine' and he asked me what I saw myself doing in the future. My mom was a teacher and I always wanted to teach or coach, but it got so far away from me in life. After I spoke with Steve everything clicked. I imagined myself teaching or coaching. I went home and told my wife I was signing up for classes."

McDonald had graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School in 2006 and tried college that fall. A year later he left school and joined the United States Marine Corps. He would be deployed to Iraq and spend 7 months there. 

In 2011 he decided to give OCC a try. After one semester he walked away from college again and went to work. McDonald became a heavy equipment operator and a sought-after local crane operator. He worked on some of the region's most significant projects including the installation of the new roof at the Carrier Dome, the construction of Syracuse University's football indoor practice facility, the massive amazon building in Liverpool, Onondaga Lake cleanup, and windmills in the Tug Hill region.

When employment opportunities suddenly slowed down, he began thinking about college again. That's when he decided to visit White at OCC. By the start of the fall 2021 semester McDonald was enrolled in the Human Services degree program. Three months later he completed the semester with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

When McDonald is not in class he can usually be found in the Office of Veterans and Military Services on the second floor of Coulter Hall. He's part of the work/study program there and an office in the Veterans Club. "The office is an amazing place where we have a sense of community with people you can talk to. We help each other move on from the military lifestyle and transition into an academic mindset."

In May at age 34, McDonald will complete his degree. He hopes to transfer to Syracuse University, pursue bachelor's and master's degree in Social Work, and begin his life's work. He plans to use his experiences to help fellow Veterans or work as a school guidance counselor. "I've taken many of the paths you can take. I've gotten out of high school and gone to college, done the military, and I've gone to work. I can use what I've done in life to help others."