Student Spotlight: Matt McCarthy

Matt McCarthy tried college right after he graduated from East Syracuse Minoa High School, didn't have the right mindset, and decided to enlist in the United States Navy a year-and-a-half later. "I was immature. I didn't take college as seriously as I should have. Now I know why I'm here and what I'm doing."

McCarthy wound spend 6 years in the Navy, rising to the position of Petty Officer 2nd Class while he worked as a Defense Radar Technician. His military service changed the course of his life. "The Navy gave me a lot of structure. It gave me a basic standard of what to live up to and to see what the important things in life are."

His service to the United States was marred by one moment which McCarthy will never forget. In the early morning hours of August 21, 2017 while on board the USS John McCain, the warship was involved in a collision with a tanker off the coast of Singapore. McCarthy wasn't injured but 10 of his fellow Navy seamen were killed. He was in his bunk on the opposite side of the USS McCain at the moment of impact. "It shook the entire ship. It was a very unique kind of loud noise. Hearing that sound is not something that goes away."

McCarthy would complete his military commitment in the spring of 2020, then return to Central New York and enroll in OCC's Engineering Science degree program in the fall 2020 semester. All of the time he had spent working on complex and massive radar systems with the Navy helped him decide he wanted to become an Electrical Engineer and one day help design and maintain radars.

As a Student Veteran on campus he can often be found in the Office of Veterans and Military Services on the second floor of Coulter Hall. "This community here makes us feel welcome. (Office Director) Steve White has been great since the day I met him. Any problems I've had he's been able to help me out. He's a great person to talk to." In the past year OCC's Office of Veterans and Military Services has been named "Best For Vets" by the Military Times and a Military Friendly School by VIQTORY.

McCarthy is on track to earn his associate degree next May, exactly 10 years after graduating high school. He plans to transfer to a four-year college and keep working toward a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. Even though it took him a little while to figure everything out, he's okay with the path he's on. "No matter whether you go to college right after high school or 20 years after high school it doesn't matter. Learning never stops. It's never too late. Sometimes going right after high school... some people aren't ready. And that's okay."