Josh Barr is amazed by what he is achieving. He's a 40-year-old single father, a recovering drug addict who has been sober for more than a year, and a member of the newest class of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society inductees. "If you would have told me a year ago this is where I would be sitting, I would have laughed at you and said 'absolutely not. You're nuts!'"
Barr spent most of his adult life battling heroin addiction. A brush with the law convinced him he was getting one last chance to turn his life around.
On October 6, 2023, he began a life of sobriety. Three months later, he enrolled in Onondaga Community College's Computer Information Systems program and began taking classes. "I was really nervous. At the time I was only a few months clean and sober. Adjusting to living life without being on drugs all of the time is difficult enough. Starting school was kind of scary for me, but I needed to get my life together and do it now while I had the momentum to do it. I needed to jump into it full speed."
The welcoming environment he found at OCC played a critical role in his success. "I had awesome professors. I was very open and honest with all of them and told them what I was battling and dealing with. All of them were very understanding, especially Professors (Tim) Stedman and (Christian) Sisack. I have a lot of respect for how much they helped me through the first semester. To have people to talk to and be honest with was so important."
He also found support at the Learning Center where he went regularly for assistance with his coursework. "I had a lot of trouble learning C++ Coding. I felt I was always playing catchup. My tutoring helped me right up until my final exam."
His efforts paid off when he received his final grades for the spring semester. "I had a 3.825 grade point average. I couldn't believe it. I didn't think I would do anywhere near that well. I put my all into it and it paid off."
Shortly after the fall semester began, he received a letter inviting him to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. On the night of October 23 in Storer Auditorium, he walked across the stage and was inducted as his story was shared with those in attendance. "My son and mother were there to see me get inducted. To be recognized and noticed and part of something bigger than yourself is a really cool thing. It was really great. I'm very excited to be a part of it."
Barr's long-term goal is to start his own cybersecurity company. For now, he's focused on completing his associate degree. "Being a single father, I need to get schooling done and get out there working as soon as I can. After I get myself established, I hope to keep taking classes to work towards a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity."
His number one priority is staying sober. "I'm still dealing with a lot. I ran away for 17 years while I was using. Sometimes I feel like even though I've put the work in, I don't deserve anything good to come to me. My mother says, 'absolutely not. You deserve what is coming to you now.'"
