Noa Ford spent much of her life struggling to survive, leading her to focus her education and eventual career on helping others. "I've been on my own since I was 16. In high school I was hopping from couch to couch. Being older and being able to get a place on my own with help from people here at OCC and others reinforced I need to get into social work. I need to be that person."
Ford graduated from Henninger High School in 2016 and became a member of the United States Air Force. She didn't think college was for her, needed direction, and hoped the military would help her figure things out. "I learned a lot of discipline, how to get things done, and how to be on time. The Air Force developed my character."
After serving her country for two years, Ford returned home She decided she wanted to become a social worker and enrolled at Onondaga Community College for the fall 2020 semester. "I had always mentored kids in my church or my mom's friend's daughter. I wanted to be able to get the actual knowledge and education for social work to help children in troubled homes."
During her first semester she suddenly found herself homeless. That's when a faculty member pointed her in the right direction. "My English professor helped me get resources from here, got me in contact with the Veteran Homeless program, and Catholic Charities to help me with housing. The door she opened for me was a blessing."
The faculty within the Human Services degree program also had a significant impact on Ford. "I came here thinking I had a plan but after listening to professors it made me look at things with a different perspective within the career field. I decided I want to work for Child Protective Services either on the investigative side or as a family advocate."
Ford will complete her degree this May. She plans to transfer to a four-year school and continue her education. She's eternally grateful for her time here and the support she's received inside and outside class. "When we had classes online, the professors were really good about getting us involved even though we weren't in the class. When I was going through things and missing classes, my professors were great about helping me and they always answered emails fast. I really loved my time at OCC."
