Dio Brown wasn't sure their college education would continue beyond Onondaga Community College. But in one moment, everything changed. With commencement just a week away, Brown learned they had been selected for the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. It provides deserving community college students a path to a tuition-free bachelor's degree. "I'm just so excited to be given the opportunity. I want to chase my education to get the best skill set for what I want to do with my research, which is in developmental robotics and AI (artificial intelligence)."
Brown is a 35-year-old student who has overcome addiction, homelessness, and the gut-wrenching repetition of seeing multiple friends die far too young because of similar circumstances. The passing of Brown's best friend in 2022 provided the inspiration for change. It led to a rekindling of a childhood love of science, and OCC's Electromechanical Technology (ELM) degree program.
Brown struck up a relationship with Professor Mike Grieb, and would eventually help support the development of ELM while working for Professor Grieb as part of the Federal Work Study program. "He has a way of disarming you, and our personalities clicked," said Brown. "He helped me understand what it means to be an engineer. At first, I was so anxious because I didn't know anything. He taught me that being an engineer means figuring things out by trying things and thinking outside the box."
It was Professor Grieb who nominated Brown for the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. In his letter of recommendation, he applauded Brown's role as unofficial president of the spring cohort who worked to bring classmates closer together to succeed as a group, their efforts in promoting OCC to a wide array of potential students, and their role in the Federal Work Study program, writing:
"The ELM program needed significant support in getting new equipment and supplies prepared for the various classes. Dio was an invaluable asset to the program. They adapted to ever-changing priorities and worked diligently to get the equipment and materials set up for our new labs. The ELM program would not have been successful without their support."
This summer, Brown will do an internship at NY Creates which owns and operates the Albany NanoTech Complex. In the fall, Brown plans to attend Syracuse University tuition-free thanks to the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. "Dio is so deserving," said Professor Grieb. "They've worked very hard and overcome so much. We are all rooting for Dio."
