Jeffrey Holmes
Capital Community College (Hartford, CT)

Jeffrey Holmes grew up as the youngest of three boys raised by a single mother. During high school, he worked part time to help the family make ends meet, and when he finished high school, he went to work full time.

Holmes worked for 15 years as a computer programmer. Eventually, he decided he wanted to go back to school, but he was intimidated. “Being the first of my siblings to attend college was frightening,” he says. “There was a lot of weight placed on my shoulders to make it through. Frankly, I wasn’t sure that I could make it through.”

Holmes decided to enroll at Capital Community College in Hartford, CT. He admits it was a struggle at first, but as he worked with his instructors, his classes seemed to get easier over time. He also found a lot of support on campus. “I found myself making many friends, not just among other students, but also among instructors and even staff members — from the business office, the registrar’s, all the way up to the president,” he says. “And each person was more encouraging than the next. They all seemed invested in my journey.”

Holmes was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa honor society and graduated from Capital with an associate degree in computer science in 2002. He currently is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Hartford and plans to go on to a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology.

“Attending and graduating from Capital Community College was one of the greatest accomplishments in my life,” says Holmes. “It came at a point when I knew I had to make a change, but was unsure of how to get there. Ultimately, I would like to get my doctorate in psychology and work with inner city youth. If I can reach back and guide some other young people in the same manner I was guided, it will make my life meaningful.”