Every Friday during the fall semester, our "Start Here, Anytime" series will spotlight an adult learner who chose to come to Onondaga Community College to pursue new opportunities, new goals, and a new chapter in life. Today, meet Jenny Hall.
Jenny Hall had spent nearly eight years proving what she could do in the healthcare industry. So when a promotion became available, she felt confident she was ready. Then she was passed over. The person selected had something Hall didn't: a college degree.
“They had a degree, but had never done 'the things,'” Hall said. “I had been doing 'the things' for seven-and-a-half years!” The disappointment stung, but also sparked something.
Hall had started college after graduating from Baldwinsville High School, spending her first two years at a four-year institution studying Advertising Photography. She eventually left school, went to work and moved forward with her life. She also spent years paying back the $21,000-plus in student loans she had accumulated, along with interest.
Now, at 33, she was being reminded of something she had left unfinished. Then she heard about SUNY Reconnect, New York State's free community college program for adults between the ages of 25 and 55. “I had been working in the healthcare industry for almost eight years. I was overlooked for a promotion at work. Going through this, and SUNY Reconnect lit a fire under me. SUNY Reconnect is perfect. It leaves me no more excuses to not finish my degree.”
So Hall came to Onondaga Community College. She enrolled in the Health Information Technology/Medical Records program and began taking classes in spring 2026. She continued through the summer, and is now taking three classes this semester while continuing to work full-time.
Her goal is straightforward: finish what she started and earn the degree she once thought might never happen. “It will be great to have a piece of paper and letters after my name to prove my worth.”
As you might imagine, returning to college as an adult comes with challenges that go beyond the classroom. Hall is balancing a full-time job and her marriage with college courses and everything else life demands. She also has rheumatoid arthritis, which can make some aspects of college more difficult.
She found an unexpected source of support in OCC's Office of Accessibility Resources. That's where she connected with Accessibility Coordinator Kathleen Pesci, LMSW, who helped her identify tools and accommodations that could make college more manageable. Pesci showed Hall how to use the dictation feature in Word and provided access to recording software for notetaking. For Hall, the assistance was transformative. "Lots of adult learners may not realize they qualify for something. Kathleen created a customized plan for me.” And her description of Pesci says everything about the impact that support had on her first semester. “Kathleen was my superhero."
Hall's determination quickly showed itself in the classroom. During her first semester, she was nominated by a professor for the Library Research Award for a paper she wrote largely between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. The paper, titled “Psychosocial Supports for Central New York Women Experiencing Infertility: A Proposed Comparative Study,” reflected the kind of effort Hall was willing to put into her education.
Balancing work and school is demanding. But, she says, "If you put your mind to it, you can do so much more than you think you can. You can achieve it if you have the support system.”
That support system has helped Hall turn a frustrating moment at work into a new beginning and a renewed belief in what she is capable of accomplishing. "I think it's really important to push yourself. When you're given this opportunity, it's too good to pass up. You never know what you can do until you try.”
