Amazon's Career Choice Gives Employee Second Chance at College

Marcos Molina figured his opportunity to earn a college degree had passed him by. He had graduated from Fowler High School in 2012 and come to Onondaga Community College where he majored in Computer Science. Three years later, he was out of school. "I thought I was done. I was maxed out on credits, my financial aid was done. I couldn't afford college anymore."

What followed was several years of several retail jobs. The revolving door stopped spinning when he heard co-workers discussing the possibility of working at Amazon. "I decided to look at their website, and Amazon's Career Choice program sold me."

Thanks to Career Choice, Amazon employees can attend OCC tuition-free in the degree program of their choosing. Molina was hired at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Liverpool in October 2022, and in the spring of 2023 he began taking classes at OCC again.

During his time away from college, Molina became interested in audio technology and the artistry of voice work. He remembered how, during his first time on campus, he would walk past the Broadcast Media Communications television control room on the first floor of the Whitney Applied Technology Center. "I would look in there and think 'man that stuff looks really cool.' I always thought if I had the opportunity to come back to OCC, Broadcast Media is what would appeal to me."

When he returned to campus, Molina enrolled in the Broadcast Media Communications (BMC) program and took three classes a semester while continuing to work at Amazon. His experiences in the BMC program confirmed he made the right choice. "It's fantastic. The program is very 'hands-on' right from the start. And the faculty here is so good."

Everything he learned was put to the test during the summer of 2024 when he was selected for an internship at WSYR TV, Newschannel 9. "I thought it would be intimidating on day one, but it turned out I already knew 70% of what they were saying. The terms were a little different but I thought 'oh my God, everything they taught us was true!'" "I know a lot of students think 'this stuff is important for the class but when is it going to matter in the real world?' This was the first time I saw a direct, complete correlation."

Molina will complete his BMC degree this December, then transfer to SUNY Oswego. He's grateful to Amazon for the opportunity it provided. "I would not be here if it wasn't for Career Choice. It gave me a second chance at trying this again."