CCBC Student, Engineering Technology
Robert, a military veteran and engineering technology major, found community and purpose at CCBC.
Starting college at 49 wouldn’t be easy. But after nearly a decade in the military followed by federal contractor jobs, Robert Toffry Jr. was ready for a new challenge. In January 2024, he stepped into a college classroom for the first time and got to work.
Getting to that point took time. Robert joined the Army out of high school and served active duty in Germany and was deployed to Bosnia. The experience left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, making new situations and crowded places difficult to navigate. After leaving the military, Robert worked in federal and contract positions until a layoff forced him to rethink his future.
Robert went to the Department of Veterans Affairs to figure out a new direction, deciding on a career using geospatial tools to predict wildfires. He researched programs and found a related degree at Towson University. However, based on Robert’s background, the department chair suggested he first earn an associate degree in geospatial applications at CCBC, then transfer to Towson as a junior. This turned out to be the perfect path, allowing him to ease into college-level coursework through smaller class sizes and individualized attention.
“I had no confidence at first,” Robert admits. It had been decades since he’d been in school, and he didn’t know a soul in his classes. Two chance meetings with Amy Wilson, director of the Honors College at CCBC Essex, were a turning point.
Wilson had visited his classroom to talk about the Honors College. “It wasn’t a classroom she typically visited,” he said. When he ran into her again later in the semester, he was surprised and heartened that she remembered him. Based on their conversation and his strong GPA, she encouraged Robert to apply to the Honors College.
“When I first went to Honors to learn more about it and apply, I walked in and walked right out,” he recalls. A quick call with his wife, Darlene, gave him the courage to walk back in. He applied and was accepted. Soon, he began participating in trips and events sponsored by the College.
“The Honors College has helped me to stretch myself and pull me out of my comfort zone,” he says. On Honors outings, he’s met and bonded with other students, feeling comfortable enough to open up about his PTSD. He’s also found support beyond his peers. Robert credits CCBC faculty and staff for giving him the push he’s needed to grow.
The faculty members here really care about you and make you feel seen. I have loved how everyone cares about you and your success. They want to know you as a person. It takes a community to raise a person. The CCBC community wants you to be the best you can be.
Robert’s embraced every opportunity to thrive and to ask for support. Tutoring through the TRIO program helped him with essay writing, and Student Accessibility Services, the Honors College and clubs have offered spaces for him to feel connected, challenged and supported both academically and socially.
Now, through CCBC’s Degrees to Succeed program, scholarships and VA support, Robert is on a clear, debt-free path to completing his associate degree in geospatial applications before transferring to Towson to complete an accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program in geography and environmental planning. Ultimately, he plans to return to CCBC to teach and provide students with the encouragement and support he once received.
Robert is part of the Fresh Faces 2025-26 cohort.