Graduating senior Ifeoma Okeke ’22, couldn’t be more thrilled to be back in the classroom this fall semester. Okeke, a Political Science major and transfer student, thought she would have to delay her graduation when a hold was placed on her CUNYfirst account. “The school year was approaching, and I had a debt of over $2,000 on my account. I didn’t have the option to take out another loan, so I thought I would have to drop out for the semester,” says Okeke, who has maintained a 3.4 GPA. After speaking with her sister, who encouraged her to seek help any way that she could, Okeke emailed the finance department at John Jay in hopes of a miracle. Luckily, the team at the Bursar’s Office had just learned about the CUNY Comeback Program, a state-sponsored initiative that aids in eliminating unpaid student debt for those experiencing financial hardships, and they suggested that she apply to it. The program had not been officially announced when Okeke applied, and in the following weeks, she was stunned to learn that not only was the hold on her account removed but so was the debt. “I couldn’t believe it. As a student, when you constantly see this balance on your account every time you log in, it’s a continuous reminder that you don’t have enough money to finance your education,” she says. “I was so happy when I was able to register for classes.” Okeke sat down with us to share her John Jay journey and positive experiences being back on campus.

Coming to John Jay
For the Bronx native, transferring to John Jay College offered many new and exciting opportunities, including a shorter commute and access to student clubs that spoke directly to her identity and needs. “When I came to John Jay in March 2020, it was a blank slate for me. I didn’t know what to expect, but the advisors were really helpful,” she says. Before the pandemic, Okeke joined the Black Student Union (BSU) on campus. She enjoyed the open and honest conversations the group had and she was looking forward to participating more. “When we met in person, there were a lot of topics we discussed that the Black community doesn’t often talk about, for example, colorism,” she says. “The Black Student Union opened my eyes to a lot of different issues.”

Graduating on Time
Because of the CUNY Comeback Program, Okeke is well on her way to accomplishing her most important goal: Being able to graduate in the Spring of 2022. Accomplishing this means providing some much-needed financial support for her mother, a nurse who has worked tirelessly through the pandemic to support Okeke and her siblings. “My mother works three different jobs. On top of being a nurse, she gives Covid-19 vaccination shots, and she works at a psychiatric clinic in the Bronx. I just want to be able to help her financially,” says Okeke, reflecting on how the pandemic has strained her family life. “I don’t really see her that much, and we don’t really get the opportunity to talk anymore because she works so much,” she says. Watching her mother struggle has ignited a fire in Okeke to finish her degree and become a source of support, especially after the pain of losing her father in 2015 to prostate cancer. “Like my mom, he was always there. The fact that he just left was hard,” she says. In honor of her father’s memory, Okeke decided to major in Political Science, following in his footsteps.

Heading Back to the Classroom
Though Okeke enjoyed her online classes, she admits that she was curious to explore the campus once again. “I wanted to see how everything had changed since the beginning of the pandemic to now,” says Okeke, who found herself getting up earlier than usual and filled with excitement to commute to John Jay. “I didn’t want to be late for my first day back. When I got to the entrance of the College, there was a banner in front of the New Building. The banner said ‘Welcome to John Jay.’ I was like, ‘Wow, they care.’ It was nice,” she says. “Inside the building, students were getting their vaccination cards verified. I had a screenshot of my uploaded vaccination card from CUNYfirst. I showed it to them and then I just walked in; it was really easy. They also had peanut butter crackers that they were handing out to students.”

Currently, Okeke is taking two in-person classes. One of them is Anthropology 210 with Associate Professor Shonna Trinch, Ph.D. “There are about 12 people in the classroom. In the beginning, it felt a bit empty and uncomfortable because nobody said anything, most people were just on their laptops quietly waiting,” she says, recalling how the professor helped ease everyone into the new setting. “Professor Trinch made us introduce ourselves and then we all started talking. The atmosphere started getting warmer. Eventually, we started joking around and talking about our boroughs and where we are from. It felt good being in a classroom again. I was so used to online classes that it felt weird in person for a little bit, but being able to sit in a classroom with my peers, make eye contact, and talk to them fills me with joy. I’m happy that I am back on campus.”