Cari Cordell and Tammy Ponto are inseparable in pursuit of their Onondaga Community College degrees. Both are adult learners with families who work full time for the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) and take OCC classes online. They are also "accountability partners" who depend on each other to power through their demanding life and academic schedules. "We lean on each other multiple times a day. Having Tammy to hold me accountable and to go to with questions makes it a lot easier. It gives you that extra push you need to get through," said Cordell. "We're in contact daily. We try to meet up once a week. Sometimes we use the phone and FaceTime and help each other while we are studying," added Ponto.
Ponto is a one-on-one teaching assistant at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central. She's a mother of four who went to college earlier in life, decided it wasn't for her, and has regretted her decision ever since.
Cordell is a long-term substitute special education teacher at Porter Elementary School. She became a mother in her teenage years and never attended college before coming to OCC.
Ponto and Cordell are attending tuition-free through a program designed for Syracuse City School District Teaching Assistants. The SCSD pays their tuition, and OCC provides them with the technology they need. They are 2 of 12 SCSD employees currently in the program, and both are working toward degrees in Humanities & Social Sciences.
Both have done so well with their coursework, they earned membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. They were inducted during a ceremony earlier this semester. "It was such an honor to be recognized for all of the work we've put in. It was something we can be proud of," said Cordell.
Achieving this level of success has been a huge accomplishment for both. "When my kids see my computer come out, they know Mom's doing school work again. I work on homework for a little after work, stop to cook dinner and spend time with the family, then I go back to it. By 10 or 10:30 at the latest I'm turning my computer off and try to get some sleep in," said Cordell. "We're showing people it can be done. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. I always told my kids once you start something you need to finish it. I'm living by what I teach," added Ponto.
Ponto will complete her degree in December 2025, and Cordell will finish in January 2026. They hope to be able to participate together in the December 2025 graduation ceremony. "Whether we are able to be together on stage or not, we will support each other. That's what we do. We are accountability partners," said Cordell.
