Sylvia Parsons was pretty sure college wasn't for her. She's a member of the Onondaga Nation who came to Onondaga Community College right after graduating from Jamesville-Dewitt High School but didn't stay long. "I didn't know what I wanted to do. I had just lost a grandparent. It was a really weird space in my life. I ended up dropping out."
She started working as a welder but knew it wasn't her passion. "I wanted to be an artist of some kind... maybe a graphic designer, a marketing designer, or a tattoo artist."
As she was considering the next chapter of her life, she heard about OCC's Return to Complete program. It gives students the opportunity to return to school while putting past college debt on hold, reduced, or forgiven. "In the back of mind I always wondered how I would pay for everything if I went back. I felt empowered because of Return to Complete."
Parsons returned in the spring 2024 semester and chose the Art program with a specialty in Media Communication Design. She worked hard, did well, and had the great grades to prove it which earned her a spot in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. "I'm doing something I want, I'm more focused, and it's very rewarding. I love the Art program. I wasn't aware of how good it is here."
She's also involved in activities outside class. Parsons is a member of the Student Advisory Board for the School of Arts, Communication, Business & Entrepreneurship, the Native American Club, and one of 12 students who are Meg O'Connell Social Justice Scholars. Next month she will join fellow Meg O'Connell Scholars on a service-learning trip to Puerto Rico.
In May Parsons will complete her degree, then decide if she wants to continue her education. The Return to Complete program has helped change the course of her life. "This all feels pretty cool, especially with how poor I did my first time here."
