Amazon's Career Choice "Removed A Barrier For Me"

Amazon's Career Choice program gave Kay Cee a second chance at a college education, and she's taking advantage of the opportunity. "I knew right away I wanted to do this. When I left school before, it was a time of distress and it was hard. This was another chance. This removed a barrier for me."

Cee graduated from high school in Brooklyn 16 years ago and began attending college downstate. She was doing well until a death in the family turned her world upside down. "When my grandmother passed away I had to take time off, did really bad that semester, and wasn't able to come back."

Now, at age 34, she's pursuing her degree again. Cee is an Amazon employee attending Onondaga Community College tuition-free thanks to the Career Choice program.

When you understand the demands of her life, they may seem exhausting. But Cee is proud to say she's fortunate she doesn't need much sleep. She's a single mother with a 5-year-old daughter, works full-time with the Syracuse City School District as a Teaching Assistant at Dr. King Elementary School, and is a full-time employee at Amazon's fulfillment center on Morgan Road in Liverpool.

Thursday's and Friday's are her most challenging days of the week. From the moment she wakes up Thursday at 6 a.m., she doesn't sleep again until Saturday morning. Every Thursday she works at Dr. King School from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Amazon from 6 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. Friday morning. Two hours later, she's back at Dr. King School until 4 p.m., then returns to Amazon from 6 p.m. until her shift ends 6:30 a.m. Saturday. "Thankfully my job at Amazon is very fast-paced. The time really flies by. You don't realize how fast the day is going."

When Cee was in college previously she was a Liberal Arts major, but life experiences led her to OCC's Early Childhood degree program. "After I had my daughter and was working for the School District for some time, I realized working with children was my calling. It was right in front of me."

Cee completed one class earlier this year, will take two classes this summer, and two more in the fall semester. She earned so many college credits previously, she's close to completing her degree. "I'm grateful for this opportunity. It's very challenging juggling my time, but I'm able to do it."