Student Spotlight: Magedah Abed

Magedah Abed comes to Onondaga Community College carrying the dreams of her entire family. She's a first-generation college student who is showing her five younger siblings what their path to a better life will be. "My mother says I have to go to college and keep going. I'm setting an example for the rest of my family."

Abed immigrated to the United States from Indonesia 10 years ago. She learned the English language, became an American citizen, and attended schools in the Syracuse City School District. When she graduated from the Institute of Technology (ITC) at Syracuse Central in June, she was ranked in the top ten in her class.

Less than a month after her high school graduation, which was held in OCC's SRC Arena, Abed was back on campus where she was accepted into the Educational Opportunity Program's Pre-Freshman Summer Institute. She had the opportunity to live in a residence hall, learn the campus, and earn 6 college credits as she successfully completed classes in Math and Public Speaking. "I really liked it. I liked the dorm I was in and I made friends. The program opened up opportunities for me."

During her time at Syracuse ITC, Abed's academic focus was Biotechnology. This semester she's beginning work toward a Health Administration degree. She hopes the success she experiences at OCC leads to a successful career her entire family will benefit from. "I want to make enough money one day to buy my mom a house. I want to get my family to a better place."