Student Spotlight: Grace Meeker

Grace Meeker seems destined for a career in finance. After completing her high school education, she spent two years working at Wegmans and saving money for college. "I wanted to get my degree as affordably as possible. OCC was a smart decision for me."

Meeker was homeschooled, so she didn't have a good feeling about stepping into a classroom for the first time in nearly a decade. "I was terrified. I didn't know what to expect. I hadn't been in a school setting since 5th grade. I forced myself to go to a Business Club meeting my first week and I ended up loving being here a few weeks in."

She chose the Business Administration degree program because she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to study. When she took an Accounting class, she knew she had made the right choice. "I loved it and was pretty good at it. I thought it would be the way for me to go." She had an outstanding first semester and earned membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Last semester one of her Business Professors, Kristen Costello, told her she should run for Student Government. "I said 'absolutely not!'" Professor Costello kept trying and told her she was passionate about Business Club and would be perfect for Student Government. Meeker's reply continued to be 'absolutely not.' After she thought about it and spoke with friends, she decided to run and was elected.

This semester Meeker is Student Government's Vice President of Club Training & Support. "My biggest priority is making things as easy as possible for the clubs. I want to help them through every step of the process and visit one meeting in each club this semester." Being a member of Student Government has also given her a sense of belonging on campus. "I've loved it. I found a huge community with the other officers."

During the school year, Meeker is continuing to work at Wegmans where she is in the Store Operations Management Internship program and is receiving a scholarship. She'll complete her degree next May and plans to transfer to a four-year school where she will focus on studying Accounting.