Start Here, Anytime: Ryan Hill

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 Ryan Hill.

At 18, Ryan Hill wasn’t ready for college. He lasted one semester before dropping out. Two decades later, he was ready to try again - and at 41, he’s proving that it’s never too late. “I went to college fresh out of high school. Back then I didn't have as much ambition as I do now. I dropped out. Twenty years later, here I am!”

Hill, who moved from Virginia to New York State 11 years ago, began his new college journey at Onondaga Community College in fall 2025. He’s now pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity, a field he discovered through SUNY Reconnect. “I was looking at the options. That was the one that appealed to me and felt like something I could do and be interested in doing.”

What's the biggest difference between the Ryan Hill who entered college at 18 and the one who walked into an OCC classroom? "I’m a lot more prepared, more curious in some ways - I like learning more than I used to, I’m more mature, and have some life experiences that helped me along the way.”

Those experiences also prompted Hill to take a hard look at where his life was headed. “Getting older, dead ends in life, not really going anywhere - it forces you to reevaluate yourself, your life, and where you’re going,” he said.

He quickly discovered that returning to college at 41 didn’t mean he would be the oldest person in the classroom. “I was pleasantly surprised. There are quite a few people here around my age and older.”

His second attempt at college brought a level of achievement he had never experienced. He became part of OCC's Honors Program, and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. “I’ve surprised myself. I didn’t think I’d ever come back to school or be good at it. I had a good work ethic, so I hoped if I showed up and did what was asked of me, things would work out well.”

SUNY Reconnect also helped remove one of the biggest obstacles that had kept Hill from returning to college: the cost. “Paying for college was one of my original hurdles to coming back to school. I don’t like owing people money. When they said it was free, it was a no-brainer.”

Hill expects to graduate from OCC in May 2027 and plans to transfer to continue his education.

For other adults who may be considering a return to the classroom, Hill has a simple question. “What’s stopping you? If you are curious and want to change your life, this would be a good step forward in that direction.”