What can happen when you start college at 30?

Life was going fine, but Austin Statkus wanted more. He found it at FLCC.

Austin Statkus ’25 certainly heard the “silly voice” in his head when he thought about starting college at age 30. Was it too late? Would he fit in?

He ignored it.

In less than two years, he earned a near-perfect GPA, an associate degree in business administration, and a full-time job in a new industry.

He also has some advice to share with would-be adult learners.

You graduated from Penn Yan Academy in 2011 but decided not to go to college right away. Why is that?

I had witnessed my sister's negative experience with college – earning her bachelor's after accruing college loans and then beginning a job that didn't use her degree – and it seriously turned me off to the whole idea. I thought I'd take a year or two off, and then saw similar outcomes among my friends attending college. It seemed very much like a losing proposition to go to college.

What made you enroll in business administration at FLCC in fall 2023?

I had been in the healthcare field for a little over a decade, working in group homes for the developmentally disabled. While extremely fulfilling and a lot of fun, it left me feeling like I wasn't in the field that best put my natural skills and aptitudes to use. Having turned 30, I knew if I was going to make any significant life shift, I would need to take an honest inventory of my strengths and weaknesses and fully commit to whatever change I wanted to achieve. I love sharing with others and building relationships, so I decided marketing would be my best bet. Earning my business administration degree was the first step towards that goal.

How did you overcome concerns about going to college 12 years after high school?

I definitely had my reservations. I'm an outgoing person but attending college at 30 felt a little too strange even for me. At first, I considered attending strictly online, but that's not really how I learn best. I decided to attend school in a hybrid way, supplementing some of my in-person classes with online so that I could continue to work and pay the bills while earning my degree. It did feel uncomfortable from time to time, even up to the very end, but every time I felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb among people 10 plus years younger than me, I reminded myself that being here and furthering my education would always be a better option than continuing down a career path that wouldn’t suit me for my entire life. Another unexpected support system throughout all of this were my professors who felt as much like my colleagues as my fellow students did.

New this year, older students studying certain majors can get all academic costs covered. Get details at flcc.edu/freecc

How did you make the most of your FLCC experience?

I embraced the college experience and dove into as many things as I could. My proudest role at FLCC was as the president of our chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Alpha Epsilon Chi. I conducted a project for students to visit three culturally significant Upstate New York museums in one day and share the experience with their classmates. I led an Honors in Actions Research Project to study and promote empathetic capacity in students post-covid, which won an award from the Phi Theta Kappa Corporation. In spring 2025, I conducted the Pay It Forward Festival in which roughly 20 non-profits shared with students how they can earn work experience before they graduate while making a positive impact in their communities. 

What are you doing now?

I am working full-time as a marketing and communications specialist at A-Verdi Storage Containers which serves most of New York and parts of Vermont, Massachussettes, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. I have a wide range of tasks but chief among them is handling all of our sponsorships and events. I was told that my experience at Phi Theta Kappa was a major factor in me getting hired, so let that be proof that what you do at college beyond your academic studies can sometimes be just as important! I am gearing up to begin pursuing my bachelor's degree in marketing at Southern New Hampshire University, and I am also working as a volunteer for RetroGameCon, New York state's largest video game convention.

What advice would you give an adult who has some college or has not attended college at all?

It may be intimidating. You may feel as though you've missed your chance and that it would be too difficult or awkward to attend college as an adult. I'm here to tell you that not only is that not true, but I believe you're in a much better position as an adult to make the correct college decisions so that you graduate with a useful degree. With FLCC's hybrid online learning program, you can still work and make a living while continuing your education. You will absolutely work harder and take things more seriously as an adult. Life has definitely kicked us all in the teeth a few times by this point, and we understand what we have to risk if we don't use our time and resources efficiently. If you go into college as an adult with a realistic and well-thought-out plan, you will see a massive change in your life when you leave this school. You'll be glad you didn't let social stigmas and that silly voice in your head talk you out of something truly beneficial for your life.