A recently added Cayuga Community College program is growing in enrollment and has graduated its inaugural class.
In a news release Monday, the college announced that 22 of its students graduated in May from Advancing Success in Associate Pathways, or ASAP, a statewide community college program through the State University of New York. Enrollment in the program has grown each semester since it started in spring 2024, the college added, from 30 that semester to 140 in fall 2024.
ASAP and its four-year version, Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE), have聽鈥渋ncreased student completion rates and enhanced student success," the college said, by offering "extensive academic resources, financial support, and (an) encouraging environment."
Carmela Barbagallo, who directs the program at Cayuga, said the inaugural class includes students straight out of high school as well as adult learners and student-parents.聽
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鈥淲e are so proud of our first graduating class,鈥 Barbagallo said in a news release.聽
鈥淭hey showed commitment and motivation, overcoming obstacles like food or housing insecurity, working full-time, mental health challenges and raising children.鈥

Shaqueta Small was one of 22 students who graduated this spring from the Advancing Success in Associate Pathways program at Cayuga Community College. She was a class marshal at the college鈥檚 commencement and earned an Associate of Arts in liberal arts and sciences: humanities and social sciences.
A pair of ASAP students from Cayuga's class of 2025 also received statewide recognition, with Julia Wilson earning the Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Student Excellence and Shaqueta Small being part of SUNY Chancellor John King鈥檚 State of the University Address in Albany.
Small, who was a marshal at Cayuga's commencement, said ASAP gave her guidance and allowed her to stay on track when academics got tough.聽
鈥淎SAP provided the structure and support I didn鈥檛 know I needed,鈥 she said in the news release.聽
鈥(It) made me feel like I wasn鈥檛 alone ... having someone regularly check in, help me register early, and keep me focused on graduating was a blessing.鈥

Danielle Mackey was in the first graduating class from Cayuga Community College鈥檚 Advancing Success in Associate Pathways program, where she earned an Associate of Arts in liberal arts and sciences: childhood education.
Danielle Mackey, who graduated in May, said the program's directors are there to help students take advantage of academic opportunities.聽
鈥淭hey鈥檙e there for you,鈥 Mackey said in the news release, 鈥渁nd they want you to succeed.鈥澛
Another recent graduate, Allison Clark, said that even as an online student, the program helped her feel connected to the college.聽
鈥淭here were times I felt disconnected before I joined,鈥 Clark said in the news release.聽
鈥淭hat changed when I became an ASAP student," she continued. "It was the program that kept me in school, and I鈥檓 grateful that I had an opportunity to be a part of it.鈥

Allison Clark was in the first graduating class from Cayuga Community College鈥檚 Advancing Success in Associate Pathways program. She earned an Associate in Applied Science in criminal justice: police.
With the fourth semester of ASAP at Cayuga approaching, the program is continuing to implement ways to strengthen retention numbers, the college said. They include financial aid for textbooks and a cost of attendance award, as well as support for child care costs for student-parents.
Students will also receive a dedicated advisor to guide them from matriculation to graduation through academic and career planning.聽
To join ASAP, students must be enrolled in one of 13 eligible degree programs, apply for financial aid, have fewer than 21 college credits upon admission and be eligible for in-state tuition, among other criteria.
In June, SUNY announced that ASAP and ACE will expand to nine additional institutions for the fall 2025 semester, increasing the total number of campuses with the programs to 34.聽
Their expansion, which increases student enrollment to more than 7,000, is being supported by additional funding from New York state's 2026 budget.聽
For more information about ASAP, or to apply, visit .
A pair of Cayuga Community College students received prestigious awards for their academic and all-around involvement on Tuesday.聽