Mitchell Cook never expected to be back in a college classroom in his late 20s, but he's glad he is - and he's excited to come to Onondaga Community College every day.
After graduating from Oswego High School a decade ago, Cook enrolled in a computer science program at a two-year school. He realized pretty quickly it wasn't for him. "I wasn't in love with it. I started applying for jobs because I just wanted to work."
Cook found a job at Tessy Plastics, where he started as an operator and worked his way into quality assurance. Along the way, he started to figure out his future. "I got to work with technicians and liked what they did. I decided I wanted more hands-on or technical experience."
Now, he's back in school on his own terms. Cook is in the Electromechanical Technology degree program, and he is one of many adult students benefitting from SUNY Reconnect, a new, free community college program for students between the ages of 25 and 55 who have not yet earned a college degree. SUNY Reconnect covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, and supplies after all other financial aid is applied. When New York State Governor Kathy Hochul was rallying support for the program, she came to the Onondaga Community College campus in January 2025. OCC student Josh Barr shared his story, and how much such a program would help him. The program was approved by the New York State Legislature a few months later.
"It's been a major help," Cook said. "I was ready to take out a loan for this semester, and I didn't have to. Knowing I'm not in a financial hole is huge. And I'm telling all of my friends that with SUNY Reconnect, you can go to school now. It's not too late."
OCC's Electromechanical Technology program is hands-on and collaborative, which is exactly what he was missing the first time he tried college. "This is way better. You wind up meeting a lot of cool people and working together." His favorite class is Systems Integration, where he and his classmates are building a machine from the ground up. "The class was overwhelming at first, but once it all comes together, it clicks. With this project - the fluid power pneumatics, the electronics, the programming - it really puts it all together."
The quality of the faculty has also made a difference in Cook's experience. "A lot of the professors are engineers, and the adjuncts are still working in the field. It's great to have professors who know what they are talking about."
Now in his final semester, Cook feels more certain than ever about his future. He hopes to stay in the area where, he says, "There's so much opportunity around here." His story is the kind of outcome Governor Hochul had in mind when she visited campus in January.
