By day, Jeffrey Passino wears a badge and helps lead the largest law enforcement agency in Onondaga County. But one night a week, he heads straight from work to the Onondaga Community College campus, where he's close to completing a goal he set aside more than two decades ago: completing his college degree.
Taking class in uniform has led to some humorous moments, like the time a fellow classmate didn't realize Passino was a student. "I sat in class the first few weeks in the back by the door. When the professor asked who would like to do a presentation in front of the class, no one volunteered, so I offered to. When I was finished and it was time for feedback, one of the students raised their hand and said, 'Geez. I saw him sitting here and thought he was here protecting us!"
Now 48 years old, Passino will complete his Criminal Justice degree this December, more than two decades after putting his education on hold. "This was one of the only things in my life I started and didn't finish. It stayed with me. I always wanted to go back."
After graduating Liverpool High School in 1996, Passino began working full-time and taking classes part-time at OCC. In 2000, with his education nearly complete, he decided to take a job with the Sheriff's Department's Custody Division, working at the Justice Center in downtown Syracuse. "I had a young family. I was newly married with a daughter. They told me about the health benefits and the retirement benefits, and I took the leap. It was a tough decision for me."
While becoming a distinguished member of the law enforcement community, Passino was always bothered by not having his college degree. He tried to come back a few times, but the timing was never right.
He spent 22 years with the Sheriff's Department, retired, then went to work as the School Resource Officer at Oswego High School. In January 2023, when Toby Shelley became the new Sheriff in Onondaga County, Passino became his Undersheriff. "That's when I decided I was going to back to OCC to finish what I started. My wife thought I was a little nuts for taking on the job of Undersheriff and going back to school," he said smiling.
Passino was connected with OCC Assistant Dean Jenna Alexander, who analyzed his old transcripts along with the dozens of law enforcement courses he had taken during his career, and concluded he only needed 5 core classes to graduate. In 2023, he began taking one class at a time.
This semester, he will complete his fifth and final class. On the night of December 16th, he'll walk across the stage in the SRC Arena and receive his degree. "It's exciting to think about - almost surreal. This was a personal achievement for me. If you put your mind to something, you can do it."
