{"id":1398,"date":"2025-04-18T19:22:53","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T19:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/?p=1398"},"modified":"2025-04-18T19:26:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T19:26:26","slug":"the-quiet-revolution-how-dana-acee-is-expanding-opportunity-in-postsecondary-cte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/the-quiet-revolution-how-dana-acee-is-expanding-opportunity-in-postsecondary-cte\/","title":{"rendered":"The Quiet Revolution: How Dana Acee is Expanding Opportunity in Postsecondary CTE"},"content":{"rendered":"  <style>\r\n    body blockquote::before {\r\n        background: #52247f;\r\n    }\r\n  <\/style>\r\n  <section id=\"row-block_491821e3ae05620ab646397e072d12dc\" class=\"wysiwyg-2col \">\r\n  <div class=\"content-area\">\r\n        <div class=\"text-area full_width\">\r\n      <p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1400 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/04\/Dana-Acee-Banner-300x157.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/04\/Dana-Acee-Banner-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/04\/Dana-Acee-Banner-1024x535.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/04\/Dana-Acee-Banner-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/04\/Dana-Acee-Banner.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Dana Acee vividly remembers the first time she understood the transformative potential of community colleges. After years at traditional four-year institutions, stepping onto the Onondaga Community College (OCC) campus in Syracuse felt like discovering hidden terrain. \u201cSeeing a genuinely open-access institution, where doors are open to every student, changed my whole perspective on what education could achieve,\u201d she recalls. In that moment, Dana committed herself to a powerful idea: career and technical education (CTE) is about more than job skills. It is about dignity, connection, and meaningful economic opportunity.<\/p>\n<h3>Seeing Herself in Her Students<\/h3>\n<p>Dana, a first-generation Lebanese-American college graduate, intimately understands the complexities her students face. Her own journey to higher education was uncertain, filled with questions about belonging and capability. \u201cFor many students, the decision isn&#8217;t about which college to attend, but whether they can attend college at all,\u201d Dana explains. During her early career in admissions, she helped students navigate that crucial turning point, bridging dreams and realities. This personal mission continues to guide her work, ensuring OCC\u2019s pathways remain accessible to students who might otherwise be overlooked.<\/p>\n<h3>Reimagining Career Services with Intention<\/h3>\n<p>Upon taking charge of OCC\u2019s Career Services, Dana quickly identified areas where student support could be strengthened. Career counseling had been isolated and underutilized, perceived by students as optional rather than essential. \u201cWhy isn&#8217;t career readiness central to every student&#8217;s education?\u201d Dana questioned. She responded by embedding career specialists directly into academic programs, making professional development accessible to all students, not just those who already knew how to seek support. This strategic repositioning significantly increased student engagement and success.<\/p>\n<h3>Micro-Internships and Real-World Change<\/h3>\n<p>Dana didn&#8217;t stop at internal restructuring. Recognizing common barriers such as transportation challenges, work commitments, and family responsibilities, she leads an innovative micro-internship program. These short-term, paid internships are designed around student needs. One notable success is a student who interned with the Syracuse firm in-ARCHITECTS, working on key community projects. This brief yet powerful experience propelled the student to continue her education at a four-year institution, with plans to return professionally to Syracuse. It is a testament to the lasting impact of Dana&#8217;s initiatives.<\/p>\n<h3>Making Career Readiness Universal<\/h3>\n<p>At the core of Dana\u2019s NYSACTE Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship with Advance CTE sponsored by the ECMC Foundation project, is a bold vision to incorporate structured career readiness into every student&#8217;s academic journey. Instead of leaving professional development to chance, her approach directly addresses the unique challenges faced by students from varied backgrounds. The structured milestones include career assessments, professional networking, and communication training, carefully designed to empower students who might not otherwise have these experiences. \u201cRelying solely on students to independently seek out resources doesn&#8217;t create fair opportunities,\u201d Dana insists. \u201cCareer readiness needs to be seamlessly integrated.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A Critical Moment for Central New York<\/h3>\n<p>The stakes could not be higher. With a substantial investment into semiconductor manufacturer Micron&#8217;s arrival, Central New York is experiencing significant economic investment and a pressing demand for skilled workers prepared for career success. Dana views this not merely as an economic opportunity but as a pivotal moment to foster inclusive prosperity within the community. \u201cThis moment isn&#8217;t simply about filling jobs,\u201d she emphasizes. \u201cIt&#8217;s about creating prosperity that includes everyone in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Leading from Personal Experience<\/h3>\n<p>Dana\u2019s leadership uniquely combines professional clarity with genuine empathy. Her Lebanese-American heritage deeply shapes her understanding of students who navigate multiple cultural identities. \u201cLiving between cultures can be challenging,\u201d she acknowledges. Yet, Dana sees this as a source of strength, encouraging students to embrace their distinct experiences. \u201cOur experiences shape us,\u201d she reflects. \u201cThere&#8217;s power in embracing and navigating that complexity.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A Vision for Postsecondary CTE<\/h3>\n<p>Looking ahead, Dana hopes her initiatives at OCC will inspire similar efforts statewide. Her approach demonstrates that collaborative and responsive career readiness strategies aren&#8217;t just effective; they&#8217;re essential. \u201cWe aren&#8217;t just preparing students for the workforce,\u201d she concludes. \u201cWe&#8217;re helping them envision futures they never imagined possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As we celebrate Arab American Heritage Month, Dana\u2019s story highlights the quiet revolution occurring in community colleges nationwide, championed by leaders dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for all students.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>To hear more about Dana Acee\u2019s journey and her work in building stronger workforce pathways, tune into her full conversation on the NYSACTE Postsecondary Fellowship Podcast, available now on <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0yq3WQOsrKlpYp2yxduGMn?si=PB0iGE6VTLewIqglF7zlCg\">Spotify<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/nysacte-postsecondary-fellowship\/id1780109772\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>.<\/td>\n<td><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1399\" src=\"https:\/\/www.acteonline.org\/nysacte\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/04\/Dana-Pod.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"170\" height=\"230\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-postsecondary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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