SEOC Progress
State University of New York
Educational Opportunity Center
100 New Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
Spring 2012 • Volume 25, Number 1
Educational Opportunity Centers Provide
Students with the Power of Opportunity
By Marlena Daher-Rahman
In This Issue
Educational Opportunity
Centers Provide Students
with the Power of
Opportunity
Shondale “Smiley” Isaac
How a College Education
Will Change Your Life
Introducing the ILT
Department
EOC’S Tutoring Center
Assists Students and the
Community
EOC Prepares Adults for
College Success
College Connections
Initiative
SU Interns at EOC
Save the Date
Healthy Families Program
The Power From Within
When there is a dominant trait or characteristic to an individual’s personality it is often
referred to as their middle name and as such, that person gains a reputation for, or is known
for that special characteristic. According to Timothy Penix, Vice President of the Syracuse
Educational Opportunity Center, “Educational Opportunity Centers provide students with
academic, career, and technical education programs that help them achieve their career, college,
and employment goals. Simply put, that is what we do best and we pride ourselves by saying,
opportunity is our middle name.”
Webster’s Dictionary defines opportunity as “A combination of circumstances, time, and
place suitable or favorable for a particular activity or action.” Furthermore, Webster notes that
“an opportunity is an advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances especially
when affecting security, wealth, or freedom.” In essence, Webster’s definition for the word
opportunity defines the characteristic mission of the Educational Opportunity Centers.
Educational Opportunity Centers are designed to provide students with opportunities
to achieve economic self sufficiency. As a system, they consist of a network of ten adult
educational facilities across the state with each Center being individually affiliated with an
associate campus of the State University of New York or the City University of New York. For
example, Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center is administered by SUNY Morrisville State
College and Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center is administered by SUNY University
of Buffalo. Rochester EOC is administered by SUNY Brockport, and Capital District EOC
is affiliated with Hudson Valley Community College. Manhattan EOC is administered by
Borough of Manhattan Community College of the City University of New York.
Although this list is not complete, you can see that EOC’s exist as an association of
enterprises connected to a greater SUNY system. And collectively, this enterprise gives each
stakeholder, particularly students, the power of opportunity. It is important for you to know
that as a student of the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center, you are connected to a vast
educational system designed to help you initiate and achieve success. Your personal connection
to this enterprise is the advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances that
Webster defines as an opportunity.
Shondale “Smiley” Isaac
By Christopher Young
From his first day in kindergarten, Shondale Isaac’s teachers noticed his
big smile and outgoing personality. He was a happy kid. However, they also
observed that he struggled mightily to keep up with his classmates. By the
age of seven, while in 2nd grade at Moses Dewitt Elementary School, he was
tested and it was shown that he did, indeed, have a learning disability. He was
placed in special education classes which had fewer students and provided him
with special accommodations and support services. From then on, through
his elementary, middle school, and high school years, he would continue to
receive extra support services, but unfortunately, still struggled with his class
work. Even after school, at the Springfield Garden Apartments where he lived,
he received extra assistance from LeMoyne College students participating in
an after-school tutoring internship program. Ironically, his main tutor was a
LeMoyne senior, Tracy Smith, (who would later get married and change her
name to Tracy Reid) who worked diligently with the 2nd grader with the
infectious smile.
Shondale Isaac
Shondale loved to travel as a youngster. One summer he and his mom visited relatives in Alabama and they even lived in Las Vegas for a
year when he was nine years old and enrolled in 4th grade. They returned to central New York a year later, and from 5th grade through 8th grade,
he attended schools in the Liverpool School District. After Shondale had completed middle school, he moved back into the city of Syracuse,
attending Henninger High School, where he graduated in 1999 with an IEP diploma (Individualized Education Diploma).
Although it was no small accomplishment receiving an IEP and walking the stage with his fellow classmates, Shondale was unfulfilled
and frustrated. He felt that he truly had not learned much, was a poor reader and had limited Math skills. It became obvious to him that he
needed to obtain his GED diploma, despite being advised by several of his high school teachers that passing the GED was probably beyond his
reach. So for the next ten years – from 1999 until 2009 – while working one boring factory or custodial job after another, he would periodically
attend GED classes. His goal was to pass the GED exam, in order to pursue a
better job or to attend college. He started GED classes in North Carolina, where
he moved in 2000 for a short time, and upon returning to Syracuse, continued
taking classes at the Rescue Mission and BOCES. Although expending much
time and effort in his classes, he made little progress and stopped attending.
Shondale works with tutor Tracy Reid
His mother and grandmother – who had nicknamed him “Smiley” when he
was a youngster – were familiar with the Syracuse EOC and advised him to
talk to a GED counselor at the Center. So, in June of 2010, he took their advice
and enrolled at the Center. Although there were no formal classes during the
months of July and August, the EOC operated a summer Math Lab, staffed
by Tracy Reid. Shondale loved the lab, and was ecstatic to be tutored, once
again, by Tracy, who he had not seen since 1989. He enrolled in the Center’s
GED program for the Fall, 2010 semester and made steady progress, both in his
classes and in the new Learning Lab, where he received one-on-one tutoring.
Finally, after taking the GED twice, in February and June of 2011, and coming
up short both times due to his poor showing on the Math section – he struggled
to achieve the 410 minimum score required -- all his time and effort proved
worthwhile when he passed the GED in December of 2011.
Shondale credits the EOC instructors and counselors with helping him achieve this significant academic goal. “All my instructors, tutors
and counselors – Connie, Loraine, Ophelia, Chip, Tracy, Amy, Kathy, Charlene, Dennis and Joanne – motivated me to pass the GED. I would not
trade the EOC for anything. The staff here pushed me constantly and would not let me quit, even after I had taken and failed the GED twice.”
Shondale consistently mentioned the support service he received – the extra tutoring assistance -- in the EOC’s Learning Lab and how
important it was to his success. This resource was not available at other GED programs he had attended prior to enrolling at the Syracuse EOC.
In order for him to overcome his learning disability and succeed on the GED, he believed strongly that this type of support service was essential.
He also pointed out the various test-taking strategies he received from his Math instructors and tutors, and how these tips helped him increase
his Math score by 50 points in five months, from a score of 390 in June to 440 in December.
When asked to describe Shondale Isaac, the responses from his instructors and tutors were all very complimentary, and spoke to his upbeat
attitude: “Shondale was an absolute pleasure to work with”, or “Shondale’s perseverance and positive attitude are the keys to his success at the
EOC” or “I have been so fortunate to have met such a fine person as Shondale. He is humble, appreciative, but also tenacious.” One instructor
also reflected upon his smile, saying, “Shondale’s smile and upbeat outlook are contagious. I smile inside and out when he stops into the
learning lab to work or just to share a sincere ‘Hello’”. And now Shondale “Smiley” Isaac, having passed the GED and currently taking College
Prep classes at the Center, continues on his academic journey, all the while wearing an even brighter smile, both inside and out!
2 SEOC Progress
How a College Education
Will Change Your Life
By Andrew L. Mills, II
While attending Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center you are encouraged to study the various preparation courses
of a real college. This has always been an area of struggle to many and an area that you could likely excel in. We are excited
when people think of all that this Center has to offer someone, the knowledge you will gain if applied correctly to your
studies.
Your life experience in college begins with a commitment to learning at a higher level, then a transfer to a two- or fouryear college to continue your dreams in a desired field of study. Please don’t get discouraged due to financial reasons in
your personal life upon continuance of college.
A quality college education would change your life for the better in a variety of ways. It would enable you to break
the “cycle” that has existed in my communities for a number of years and put you on the path to a better life; a life with
opportunity, advancement and success along the way. It would allow you to show your siblings, nieces, nephews and
children that anything is possible and that it is possible to obtain goals that many think are out of their reach due to life’s
circumstances.
Your personal experience is a combination of challenges including poverty, lack of skills when it comes to your education
and a tough road along the way. At this point in your life, SEOC inspires you to change for the future of the communities.
Let people have a new shine on life where you can help make a difference. When you have discovered your talent in life at
the Center be proud to share with us your experiences. A person who is derailed in their education is someone waiting to get
back on track. For that reason alone, you grow to your potential and shine like the sun. This life changing experience is part
of our commitment to you. Why not learn that you truly could overcome any obstacle life has in store. We can overcome
with hard work, perseverance and determination. This is the same mindset you have as you pursue completion of courses
at the college level.
Your long-term personal and professional goals consist of earning a college degree, obtaining a job in that field of study
and also providing for your family and the numerous things they need.
Andrew L. Mills, II, College Prep student
www.SyracuseEOC.com
3 Spring 2012
Introducing the ILT Department
By Cynthia Doss
As you walk around SUNY Syracuse Educational
Opportunity Center (SEOC) you see touches of the Information
and Learning Technology (ILT) Department all over the building.
If you haven’t heard of this department, ILT oversees all the
computers in the building, the Education Center, the monitors,
the classrooms and anything else technological in the building.
The SEOC’s Learning Center houses the ATTAIN Lab, the
Learning Lab and the Tutoring Lab. SEOC students utilize the
ATTAIN Lab to supplement their work in GED and ESL classes. It is also used by those students who are attending Literacy
Volunteers of Greater Syracuse (LVGS) reading classes. For
both our students and community members, the ATTAIN Lab
offers them a chance to receive Microsoft Certification and
Microsoft Technical Associate Certification. If you want to see
what the ATTAIN Lab has to offer, please see Amanda Wall in
the ATTAIN Lab.
Students at work in ATTAIN Lab
The newest member of our staff, Jeff Miller, is the Learning Lab Coordinator. The Learning Lab is a computer lab that
is open to both students and community members. Jeff works with the GED students to help enhance their GED studies. Students from other EOC programs and community members also work with Jeff in order to complete school work, job
searches and various projects. The Tutoring Lab also utilizes Jeff’s skills with their participants. If you need help with a
project or need a computer to look for a job, please use our Learning Lab and see Jeff Miller.
The ILT department is also involved in pre-employment testing which we do each week with members of the community.
Our facility is used by the United States Postal Service, the Transportation Security Administration and the FBI to assess
individuals seeking employment with these agencies. Along with this service, the ILT department also manages our
community network. Many community organizations utilize our building for meetings, employee trainings and classes. They not only utilize our classrooms and meeting areas, they also utilize our computer labs.
Finally, ILT oversees the monitors you see in the building.
Please check out our monitors to find out what is going on in and
around the building. You might find a special class or function
that we are holding in the building or the date for our Annual
Recognition Ceremony. We try to update them weekly with
new information, so please remember to check them out.
The Information and Learning Technology Department is
one of the departments in the SEOC that is using its resources
to enhance the knowledge of our students while incorporating
the surrounding community into our EOC family. We hope
that these partnerships are beneficial to our students and to the
community.
Amanda Wall, ATTAIN Lab coordinator, works with
Microsoft Certification student
4 SEOC Progress
EOC’S TUTORING CENTER ASSISTS STUDENTS
AND THE COMMUNITY
The Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center is pleased to offer no-cost tutoring services.
Adults in the community are welcome to receive help with building math and reading skills and
preparing for tests such as the GED or TABE.
TIPS FROM YOUR TUTORS
HOW TO STUDY
• Do it now. Make a plan to study and follow through. Don’t wait till you ‘feel like
studying’ because maybe you never will!
• Find a place where you can concentrate. Pick a well-lit, quiet place and turn off your
cell phone and TV.
• Use diagrams and drawings. These can give you a clearer mental picture of a new
concept you are learning.
• Use your own words. Restate or rewrite difficult concepts in your own words. Explain
it to someone (or your dog!) for practice.
• Reward yourself. Most people can concentrate effectively only for about an hour.
Study for 50 minutes and then take a short break to get a snack, listen to music, etc.
You will get more out of your studying if you do.
• Spread out your study time. Don’t study five hours in one night! One hour each night
for five nights will help you remember more.
Please visit us for individualized help with test preparation and math and reading skills and
more. The Tutoring Center is located in EOC’s Learning Lab, Room 101. Tutoring is available
during the spring semester, Monday – Thursday, Noon – 6PM. Your tutors: Carolyn Davidson,
Amy Kozachuk, Tracy Reid, Charlene Stage, and Kathy Allen.
www.SyracuseEOC.com
5 Spring 2012
EOC PREPARES ADULTS FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS
By Amy Kozachuk
The College Success Seminar Series course was held at the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center in January. Approximately twenty college-bound students acquired skills they will put in use for future college success.
The week-long course included topics such as setting goals, how to study, managing your time, reading strategies,
staying motivated, and more. Students also had the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session
with current college students.
Instructor Tracy Reid notes, “The students were great. They came to class prepared and were serious and attentive. If they approach their college work as they did our course and put into practice the strategies they learned,
they will be successful.”
This course has also been offered previously in partnership with On Point for College and Onondaga Community College. Along with the College Preparation Program, this course is one of the ways EOC provides instruction and information to its students and adults in our community to prepare them for success in college and
beyond.
College Success students discuss parts of a college essay with instructor Amy Kozachuk
6 SEOC Progress
College Connections Initiative
By Phillip Hamilton
College Connections Initiative (CCI) is a service offered at the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center designed
to help under-represented, economically challenged residents of Central New York to achieve their dream of a college
education. Part of the SUNY network, CCI primarily serves to smooth the transition for student-prospects from precollege to college life. The CCI office is located in the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center, Student Personnel
Services, Room 200. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:30AM – 5:00 PM and Tuesday
12:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
CCI provides advice and information on colleges, both regional and local, including SU, OCC, SUNY IT and
Morrisville State College. CCI also provides its student-prospects with transportation to and from local college campuses
for college fairs, open house events, and occasional special events. CCI sponsors in-house workshops emphasizing
the important financial aid process, the increased expectation, protocols, traditions and vernacular used in a collegiate
environment. These workshops are designed to familiarize our students with college life, potentially increasing their
prospects for success. Programming also includes the 2012 Spring College Tour Lecture Series. The lecture series
provides a platform for area academic instructors and professionals to share their work with our adult students and
the community at large. This unique construct allows our students to interact with working academic professionals in
close quarters. Past presenters have included Arthur Flowers, Assoc. Prof. of English, Syracuse University; Emanuel
Carter, Assoc. Prof., Landscape Architecture, SUNY Environmental Sciences and Forestry; Neal Abrams, Asst. Prof.,
Chemical Education and Inorganic Chemistry, SUNY Environmental Sciences and Forestry; Dr. Bill Hines, Director
of Counseling, Addiction & Psychological Services, Syracuse Community Health Center; Dr. Patricia Stith, Assistant
Provost & Associate Dean at Syracuse University; and Dr. Melvin T. Stith, Dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of
Management at Syracuse University.
Off campus experiences this spring included trips to the Onondaga Community College Spring 2012 Open House,
the Our Hope for Tomorrow Student Conference, also at OCC and co-sponsored by the OCC Educational Opportunity
Program, CCI, On Point for College, Say Yes to Education, CNY Works, the Dunbar Center, SU HEOP and many
organizations with whom we work closely. Other off campus spring trips included the SUNY Regional Campus
Showcase Days held at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center, the Open Houses at Morrisville
State College and at SUNY Cortland/IT and the Crouse Nursing School Open House at the Marley Education Center.
Finally, CCI provides advocacy for our college prospects, communicating on their behalf to local colleges. The
College Connection Initiative of the Syracuse EOC is ready to help you reach your educational goal and achieve a
better quality of life through college. Please contact 315-472-0130, ext. 111 for more information.
www.SyracuseEOC.com
7 Spring 2012
SU Interns at EOC
This past year, the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center (SEOC) was privileged to have two Syracuse
University Social Work interns – Abbey Gabriel and Quentin Brunson – work with its staff and students. A
crucial part of Abbey and Quentin’s Social Work education includes the theoretical knowledge learned in the
classroom, bolstered by the practical experience gained out in the field. The internship experience at the SEOC
has enabled Abbey and Quentin to relate their classroom knowledge to real world applications. More importantly,
these experiences have allowed them to meet and work with the Center’s diverse population in an effort to better
prepare them for their future profession as Social Workers.
Abbey and Quentin have both invested a significant amount of time and effort in their internship experience over
the last two semesters and, consequently, have benefited tremendously from it. When asked to share their thoughts
concerning the overall effect their SEOC internship has had on them, they offered very positive evaluations.
Several of their comments included:
“We have been blessed to have such an awesome opportunity to intern here at the SEOC. During our time here
we have met wonderful staff members and amazing students from each of the Center’s programs.”
“We were privileged to be able to put together several enhancement programs for the students, such as ‘Dress for
Success’ and ‘Outstanding Men Encouraging Greater Aspirations’. These programs helped us learn more about
the Center, our community, and most of all, ourselves.”
“Our internship experience here at the SEOC has been very meaningful and rewarding and will greatly impact
our careers as professional Social Workers. We would like to give a special ‘Thank You’ to Elizabeth Allen for
supervising us and providing us with so many valuable opportunities to strengthen our field experience here at
the Center. The SEOC is an incredible place and will, no doubt, continue to serve the Syracuse community for a
long time.”
Abbey Gabriel and Quentin Brunson
8 SEOC Progress
The Power From Within
By Joanne Stephens
Each day when we wake up, we have the power to make the day a good one or a bad one. Yes, we do
have the power and the choice is ours. Try to think in terms of making the day a good one. I know it’s hard
to believe, but you, me, we have the power to give each day our best shot. This doesn’t mean that giving our
best shot is going to make the day perfect, but it does mean that if we are working toward a positive outcome,
the obstacles that face us may be easier to handle.
Each day is our own personal work of art. We can sculpt it in a way that will make us happy and define our
reasons for being. Life is short. We all know that life is short, but we tend to think in terms of making tomorrow better. Our thoughts should be in making each moment of the day we are working through the happiest
that it can be. This doesn’t necessarily mean that as hard as we may try to make every moment happy that we
can make it so, but it does mean that if we are working for a positive outcome, the obstacles that face us may
be easier to handle.
Each day gives us an opportunity to view the people in our lives and those we encounter in a positive
light. Be pleasant and encouraging. Give others the benefit of the doubt. Don’t let anger get the best of you.
Don’t let envy get the best of you. Don’t let negativity in any manifestation get the best of you. Think before
you act. Moreover, if you are not certain of what you are acting on, asking questions about the situation will
give you a chance to clarify your perceptions before you act. This doesn’t necessarily mean that clarifying
your perceptions before you act will always provide you with the appropriate answer to the situation, but it
does mean that if we are working for a positive outcome, the obstacles that face us may be easier to handle.
Life may never be exactly the way you want it to be, but that’s what makes it interesting and challenging. Sometime surprises lurk behind closed doors and in the light of day, we must deal with them. We must
maintain a sense of positivity so we can be mentally and emotionally prepared to embrace the challenges with
love, turn them into learning experiences, and look forward to the next one.
Remember, embrace the challenges with love no matter how they come to you and know…it’ all good.
www.SyracuseEOC.com
9 Spring 2012
SAVE THE DATE!
Syracuse EOC’s
42nd Annual Recognition Ceremony
Wednesday, May 30th, at 7 p.m.
Clary Middle School
100 Amidon Drive
Syracuse, NY 13205
Today, the future is yours…Embrace it!
10 SEOC Progress
Alysia Doyle
REACH CNY Healthy Families Program
• Services for infants, children, and new moms & dads
• Free and confidential home visits or at another location
Here at the EOC, Room 200 (SPS):
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
www.SyracuseEOC.com
May: Friday, 5/4 & Tuesday, 5/15
11 Spring 2012
THE SEOC PROGRESS
Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center
100 New Street
Syracuse, New York 13202
(315) 472-0130
www.SyracuseEOC.com
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COMMITTEE
Joanne Stephens
Chris Young
Elizabeth Allen
State University of New York’s Syracuse EOC is a not-for-profit adult education
facility administered by Morrisville State College. The Center does not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or marital or
parental status in employment, admission, or the educational programs or activities
it operates. The building is completely accessible to the physically disabled.
12 SEOC Progress