It's been three years since Ciara Smith graduated from Syracuse's Henninger High School, enrolled at a four-year school that fall, then decided to take a step back after one semester. "My major was Business but it wasn't something I was really interested in. I think I was trying to rush going to school when I wasn't ready for it. I came home and decided to take a break and think about what I really wanted to do."
She explored her options and decided to enroll in Onondaga Community College's Computer Science degree program for the spring 2024 semester. "I've always been interested in computers and technology. I hadn't done any computer programming before and thought it would be interesting to learn it."
Her first semester on the OCC campus went well, and confirmed she had chosen the right course of study. "It's very interesting to me. Computer programming is like learning a whole new language. I'm still working on the basics of it. I'm focused and ready to learn!"
This semester Smith is taking advantage of activities outside class. She's a member of the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Council, the Unity Day Student Committee, and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, known as C-STEP. "I feel way more involved here. It's good to be connected and involved. There are a lot of opportunities and good things that can happen here."
