Student Spotlight: Colden German

You don't have to be a longtime gearhead to excel in Onondaga Community College's Automotive Technology program. Colden German became interested in cars just a couple of years ago and had his "aha moment" during his final year at Baldwinsville High School. "My senior year was based around figuring out what I wanted to do. I really had no clue. When I decided to put a new exhaust on my car I was like 'wow... maybe I want to do this. I'm going to give it my best shot and push through.'"

He had heard good things about OCC's Auto Tech program from friends. After graduating high school in June of this year, he enrolled at OCC in the fall. He decided to start in the one-year certificate program and make sure he was making the right choice. "It was great right from the start. I loved how hands-on it was. And Sarge (Professor Jon Seargent) is a great teacher."

German became President of OCC's Automotive Club and a spokesman for the program. In October he went to Citi BOCES (the BOCES program in the Oswego County Town of Mexico) and spoke with students about opportunities at OCC. A short time later, he decided to switch in to the two-year Automotive Tech degree program and will do so in the spring 2025 semester.

Earlier this month he started his first job in the industry, working as a technician at Burdick's Drivers Village in Cicero. He's already building his resume in a field where workers are needed while he continues to pursue his degree. "Even though I started here without much experience, coming here was about the basics and getting a good core. My time at OCC has been fantastic. I really like it."