Life in the United States is a gift Noel Ponthuit gets to enjoy every day. He's a native of the Congo who lost his father at age 2, and spent 20 years in a Rwandan refugee camp before immigrating to America. "I had a dream. I wanted to go to the U.S. We had been dreaming about being here since I was a kid."
Ponthuit has vivid memories of adjusting to life in the U.S. when he arrived in 2016. He had many preconceived notions about what it would be like here which, in reality, turned out to be much different. One of those centered around how we do laundry. "It was a long trip from Rwanda. I wanted to wash my clothes when I got here. I thought I would wash them with my hands and hang them outside. That's when I saw a washing machine and dryer. I had seen them in movies but didn't know they were everywhere here for people to use."
Shortly after arriving, doctors discovered he had a brain tumor. Following successful treatment, he recalls "spending a year on the couch." Eventually, his doctor told him he should go to school to see if he could "train his brain." Ponthuit took an online math class, earned a "B", and decided to become a full-time student.
In the fall of 2023, he enrolled at Onondaga Community College and chose the Broadcast Media Communications (BMC) degree program. "I joined BMC because I want to inspire people to change their lives through my story, through my life experiences. I want to show them that anything is possible." As he learned the technical side of BMC and interacted with classmates, he also saw a change in his personality. "Before BMC I was shy. Now I am able to have conversations with anyone and share insight about my life."
Ponthuit's first name, Noel, derives from Old French and means Christmas. He was born on December 25th, and this past Christmas turned 30 years old. In May he will become the first member of his family to earn a college degree. He plans to transfer to a four-year school and continue his education. He feels fortunate his higher education journey began at Onondaga Community College. "OCC is a great school. I'm different now than when I started at OCC. OCC changed me. They have everything; the resources, the faculty, to help students be anything they want to be."
