Syracuse Sun

Onondaga Community College issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.

Fantasia Thorne-Ortiz Ed.D. knows how difficult it is to juggle work, parenthood, and going to college. She's been there as recently as a year ago. "I understand what it's like to work full time when you're in school, to have a child when you're in school. What can you do but keep going? I had a dream. I had a wish and I had to get that doctorate. So I did."

Thorne-Ortiz is the Interim Director of Onondaga Community College's Coulter Library and the Center for Teaching & Learning Innovation She's come a long way since she started college at age 17 and didn't survive her first year. After leaving school, she went to work for a couple of years before trying school again, enrolling at Gateway Community College in her hometown of New Haven, Connecticut. She spent a year there, then transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where she would earn a bachelor's degree in English. 

Throughout her time in Connecticut, Thorne-Ortiz worked two jobs which gave her the equivalent of full-time hours. Some of her more memorable jobs included working for an airport shuttle reservation company, and doing telemarketing for a window company. She also worked in two different libraries at Yale University. Her mother had spent 10 years working in a library and Thorne-Ortiz always enjoyed the atmosphere. She eventually decided to make it her career. "I thought I could be a librarian by day and write a book at night because I love books. It hasn't happened yet!"

While continuing to work two jobs in Connecticut, she enrolled in Simmons College in neighboring Massachusetts. She would drive there every Saturday for classes until she earned her master's in Library and Information Sciences.

She kept working multiple jobs for two years before getting her first full time library job at Syracuse University. While she was there she applied for a position at OCC. On the day she came up for her job interview, she walked into the "old" Coulter Library which hadn't been renovated yet and transformed into the campus jewel it is today. "It was a rainy day. It was dreary outside and the the library was pretty dreary inside. I was afraid to accept the position. I'm so glad I did and the library is so inviting now. Coming into a new space and a nice space makes you want to keep coming back."

Thorne-Ortiz started at OCC in 2014 and one year later enrolled in Northeastern University's doctoral program. It would take her four years to earn her Doctorate of Education. During that time she became pregnant and gave birth to her son. "It was difficult to work full time and go home and fulfill that dream of getting that degree. And then I had my son who is 19 months old now. He was a baby when I was going through the doctoral process. It was difficult. He gave me the fire I needed to finish. I want him to think about the things I've accomplished and be proud of me."

Her son has one more reason to be proud of his mom after Thorne-Ortiz received this year's SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service. "To receive that kind of recognition from my colleagues means the world to me. I'm blessed beyond words to work with such amazing people. It's nice to know hard work is noticed and I will always be thankful I received the award."

Original source can be found here.