By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart
When Frank Crouch tuned in to the 6 p.m. news one evening last spring, he had no idea that a life-changing update was ahead. The broadcast’s top story announced the launch of SUNY Reconnect, the new state-wide initiative offering FREE associate degrees to New Yorkers between the ages of 25 – 55.
Crouch couldn’t believe his ears. After decades of quietly longing to be college-educated, opportunity met desire, and at age 55, there was no time to waste! With a carpe diem spirit, the Business Information Management: A.A.S. student has a successful first semester under his belt, and is eager for more.
Crouch spent his early years in Clifton, New Jersey. At just 17 years old, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. After serving for four years as an Administrative Specialist, Lance Corporal Crouch felt called to return to civilian life. While he always intended to go to college via his Montgomery GI Bill, he entered the workforce and never left.
“I would run into friends and family who finished college, and I was always a little envious,” Crouch explained. “Not truly envious, but I really respected people with degrees, because it was something that I always wanted. I was just never able to pursue an education either due to lack of finances, lack of time, or just life getting in the way.”
Post-Marines, Crouch launched his career in the communications sales industry at the height of the technological evolution from dial-up, to DSL, to fiber optics. While thriving in the communications data boom in N.J., he took a vacation to Saratoga Springs, New York, and fell in love with the resort community. He packed his bags, headed north, and traded in sales for service, with a new role guiding Medicare beneficiaries through their healthcare options.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Crouch, like many others, to engage in the act of soul-searching. Seeking a change of scenery, he relocated to Broome County with concrete goals to strengthen his faith, fitness, and mind. He became an active member of Fairview United Methodist Church, hit the gym six days a week, and rebuilt his confidence. Feeling like a new man at more than 100 lbs. lighter, Crouch’s fresh start in Binghamton was already going well when that fateful broadcast delivered news better than he could have ever imagined.
Crouch listened in awe as the reporter relayed the details of SUNY Reconnect. As a 55-year-old New Yorker with no college degree, he met all of the eligibility criteria. In a matter of days, he’d attended a SUNY Broome informational session and completed his application for the Fall 2025 semester.
More than 250 SUNY Reconnect students enrolled in the Business Information Management A.A.S. program in Fall 2025! Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
“For most of my life, I was under the impression that going to college meant being a traditional, on-campus, in-person, full-time student,” Crouch reflected. “But then I learned that SUNY Reconnect was designed to be flexible to support the lifestyles of adult students. I could study part-time around my work schedule, and complete my courses fully online as a distance learner — for free!”
Based on his career history, skill set, and interests, Crouch enrolled in the Business Information Management: A.A.S. (BIM) program, which offers a balanced blend of business, information technology, and marketing courses to develop the tools and techniques to acquire, process, and manage information. One of the College’s first fully online programs, BIM students can complete their degree in person, online, or a hybrid of both. Working in tandem with his academic advisor, Crouch developed a plan to pursue his BIM degree online at a steady part-time pace of two classes per semester.
After spending the first few weeks of the semester acclimating to college life, Crouch developed a structured study routine around his work schedule and exercise regimen. Channeling his military instilled discipline, he planned his days a week in advance, based on his syllabi, and carved out his evening hours for schoolwork.
Though Binghamton is his home base, Crouch is an avid traveler, who appreciates the flexibility of distance learning. This year alone, he’s ridden a mule in the Grand Canyon, parasailed over Key West, and escaped the frigid Southern Tier winter in Miami Beach — all with his laptop and textbooks in tow, and without negatively impacting his grades. He finished his first semester in top academic standing, affirming that his decision to enroll as a Reconnect student at his community’s college was meant to be.
“I’m super excited about the way I live my life today. My health is strong, all my bills are paid, and I’m earning my associate degree,” Crouch beamed. “At 55, I can learn and retain college-level business material! I knew I had potential, but it’s exciting to find out that I have even more than I thought. So stay tuned!”
Learn more about SUNY Broome’s Business Information Management: A.A.S. program!
“Thanks to SUNY Reconnect, I could study part-time around my work schedule, and complete my courses fully online as a distance learner — for free!” Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers
Tags: Business and Professional Studies Division, Business Information Management AAS, Business Information Technology Dept, Reconnect, SUNY Reconnect
