Karinda Shanes, left, with Onondaga Community College President Kathleen “Casey” Crabill at OCC’s “Alumni Faces” recognition ceremony.
Karinda Shanes, Regional Executive Director of Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection’s Syracuse and Binghamton/Union-Endicott programs, was honored this week by her alma mater, Onondaga Community College, in the school’s annual “Alumni Faces” recognition event.
OCC’s “Alumni Faces” program celebrates the achievements and contributions of distinguished graduates who have made a difference in their communities and professional lives. A ceremony was held Wednesday, October 6, to recognize Shanes and other OCC “Alumni Faces” honorees.
In a profile of Shanes that appears on OCC’s website, she describes how her professional and academic experiences have equipped her to lead regional operations for the nationally recognized HWSC program. Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection helps at-risk youths stay in school and graduate from high school with the skills and confidence necessary to enter college or the workforce.
Her family includes other OCC graduates, including three sons who all participated in HWSC while in high school. “Their [HWSC Youth] Advocates were like family,” Shanes said of her sons’ experiences with the program. “Along with their teachers and other partners, we all worked together as a team to provide wraparound support that helped them achieve their goals.”
Shanes also praised Syracuse as “a resource-rich community, a strong community that is a great place to call home.”
Learn more about HWSC here. Support HWSC and other Hillside programs today.