Members of the Class of 2023 sign up for OCC Advantage Program

Members of the Class of 2023 at Jordan-Elbridge High School were joined by parents, school leaders and representatives from Onondaga Community College as they participated in a signing ceremony on Jan. 27 for the OCC Advantage program.

More than 40 freshmen at JEHS are enrolled in the program. They are the second freshmen class to sign up for the OCC Advantage, which allows students who meet certain criteria to attend the college on a full scholarship after they graduate.

According to OCC, all of the students who meet attendance and grade point average requirements (GPA), complete community service and graduate will be eligible to attend OCC on a full scholarship. The GPA requirement is 2.0 (the letter grade equivalent of a “C”) while they are in high school. Students would have two years once they get to OCC to earn an associate degree or certificate. While there, they would also have to maintain a certain GPA or higher and meet community service requirements to stay in the program.

To open the ceremony, Jordan-Elbridge Board of Education president Karen Guerrette stressed the importance of creating a strong educational foundation, which included skills such as self-management, communication, critical thinking, collaboration and teamwork.

The audience then heard from college president, Dr. Casey Crabill, and three students from OCC. The students talked about the quality of education at OCC, its affordability, high academic standards and number of resources.

Crabill shared three secrets to student success in the program: go to school, do your work (and ask help if you need it) and get involved in some way outside of the classroom.

“These benchmarks will help you develop the skills and behaviors necessary for college success,” she said.

Jordan-Elbridge Superintendent James Froio closed the ceremony by telling the students that community college showed him self-discipline and that success is dependent on each of them.

“The sky is the limit for all of you,” he said.