Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, '03 - 2021 Alumni Faces Honoree

Chatting About College

Each year Onondaga Community College recognizes distinguished graduates who have made a difference in their community and professional life, naming them "Alumni Faces" honorees. On the night of Wednesday, October 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the Frederick marvin and Ernst Schuh Recital Hall, we will pay tribute to the Alumni Faces Class of 2021. In the weeks leading up to the event we are proudly profiling our honorees on our website and social media. Today we recognize Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, '03.

If there's anyone who is doing exactly what she should be doing in life, it's Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, '03. When she was a student at Onondaga Community College, Owens-Chaplin was working full time at Kentucky Fried Chicken and living on her own in the Pioneer Homes housing project which is located directly next to the elevated portion of Interstate 81. Today she's an attorney and the lead counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union which is working to make sure the elevated portion of Interstate 81 is replaced with a surface road system known as the community grid.

Owens-Chaplin always had big dreams but never knew if she could overcome significant life challenges to make any of them come true. By age 17 she was living on her own while attending Henninger High School. After receiving her diploma she decided to come to OCC and major in Humanities.

Initially, learning how to balance the demands of working full-time and going to college was a huge struggle. Coursework took a back seat. As she developed relationships with professors, her education became more important. When she took a Business Law class it gave her the confidence to pursue a career in law.

After earning her degree at OCC, Owens-Chaplin committed full-time to education and her future. She quit her job, moved away, and enrolled at SUNY College at Old Westbury. She graduated with honors, then moved on to the School of Law at the University of St. Thomas in Miami. She earned her law degree and returned to Syracuse with the goal of making a difference in the community.

The Interstate 81 project is now the main focus of her professional life as lead counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union.

As she continues to advocate for others, she'll return to campus next week to be honored for her community-focused contributions.

The Alumni Faces ceremony will be streamed live on OCC's YouTube and Facebook pages Wednesday, October 6 at 5:30 p.m.