Justin Tani isn't just looking for a second chance. Instead, he's come to Onondaga Community College to build a new life. Tani is a 48-year-old student in his first semester in OCC's Cybersecurity degree program. He decided to hit the reset button on his career after spending two decades as an electrician. The physically demanding work was taking its toll. "I'm not getting any younger. I might get carpal tunnel working with computers, but I won't blow my back out. I thought this would be a great opportunity. So I thought, 'Why not try something else?"
So this fall, he traded in his tools for his textbooks. Tani had tried college right out of high school, but his heart wasn't in it. "I took courses but didn't apply myself. I didn't really know exactly what I wanted, but now I do, and I'm ready."
He's not doing it alone. Tani is part of the new SUNY ASAP program. ASAP stands for Accelerated Study in Associate Programs. It provides students the support they need to finish their degrees on time. That support includes funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation, and other costs of attendance, academic assistance, comprehensive personalized advisement, and career development activities. A similar program has been in place in the City University of New York system since 2007. It has collectively served more than 100,000 students - and has been replicated in seven states.
Tani's support system on campus also includes the nationally recognized Office of Veterans and Military Services. He's a United States Army Veteran who served for 4 years. This semester, he's working in the Office of Veterans and Military Services, and also working at the Wegmans grocery store on Onondaga Boulevard.
The decision to come back to college later in life has worked out well, and Tani is thankful for the welcoming atmosphere he's found on campus. "There's a good vibe here! Everyone wants to help. I wasn't expecting all of this interaction or support. Everything is very intertwined. There's a framework. At other schools, it's sink or swim. OCC is trying to help everyone succeed."
