Justin Kuneman was making good money waiting tables at Pastabilities, a popular restaurant in Armory Square, and was content to keep doing so, until a conversation with his girlfriend changed the course of his life. "We both wanted a family in the future, and she helped me realize I couldn't do this forever. The first thing that came to mind was my science background, and the Micron program at OCC. My goal was to work at Micron. The quickest, most immediate way was to become a student, get an internship, and get a job with Micron."
In the summer of 2024, as the fall semester was approaching, Kuneman enrolled in Onondaga Community College's Micron-related Electromechanical Technology degree program. He had earned a bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from the Rochester Institute of Technology a decade earlier, so past success in the classroom made his transition seamless.
Kuneman had an excellent first year, was selected for a paid internship at Micron Technology in Boise, Idaho, and spent the summer of 2025 working there as an Equipment Maintenance Technician Intern. While working 12-hour shifts, he realized his coursework at OCC had prepared him well. "There were so many things I could recognize and interact with. I didn't feel like they had to teach me everything. A lot of it was surprisingly familiar considering the complexity of stuff going on in there."
As he was completing his internship, Kuneman was offered a job at Micron. He accepted, and after he completes his next degree, he'll return to Boise with his significant other. "Getting my plan to come to fruition is nice. When I got the job offer, I had to convince my girlfriend it was a good idea to move out to Idaho for a couple of years until the New York facility opens. Bless her heart, she wants to come with me!"
