![Nimley Bestman is pictured in OCC's Esports Arena. "It's cool here. When it's time for a match we dim the lights, turn on the sign, turn on blue LED lights. it creates a really cool environment to play in."](/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_1228_/public/images/2026-03/700%20Nimley%20Bestman%2004.jpg?itok=mFRVzmyS "Nimley Bestman is pictured in OCC's Esports Arena. "It's cool here. When it's time for a match we dim the lights, turn on the sign, turn on blue LED lights. it creates a really cool environment to play in."")
When Nimley Bestman's mother offered him a chance to move north with her from Georgia, he did some research and realized it was too good to pass up.
She was heading north for a Registered Nurse job at Oswego Hospital, and hoped he would come with her and enroll at her alma mater, Onondaga Community College. Nimley was a gamer who dreamed of becoming a chef, so he checked out OCC online.
"I looked at the different programs. I found Culinary Management, and I found Esports in athletics. I saw pictures of the Esports Arena and thought I could get into it."
In the fall of 2025, the 26-year-old Bestman began 'getting into it.' He had tried college right after high school, but left after a year and a half. He worked a variety of jobs, including four years at a Chili's Grill & Bar - an experience that helped shape his career vision. "The atmosphere and working with different people I enjoyed being around, and seeing people enjoy the food I made, got me interested in becoming a chef."
He's found OCC's Culinary Management program to be exactly what he was hoping for. "It's been really cool because most of it has been hands-on experience. In the first semester, it was teaching basic things about baking and cooking. This semester we are learned more advanced cooking techniques and worked in the restaurant here. It was a fun experience."
Outside the kitchen, his gaming experience has been equally satisfying. He signed up to join the Esports team on the first day of class. He became the captain of OCC's Siege team, and a sub for the Valorant and Counterstrike teams. "About two years after Siege came out, I got into it. I had an Xbox I shared with my little brother, I got Rainbow 6 Siege, and liked it. It's a fun thing to experience and learn."
Bestman still has another year of esports competition and culinary labs ahead of him before earning his degree in the spring of 2027. Looking back, the offer his mother made when she planned her move turned out to be exactly the opportunity he needed. "OCC has been pretty cool. They've been able to make me feel okay coming back into the college atmosphere after being gone so long. Everyone has been very accepting and open to give a helping hand."
