Bruce Bochicchio has set his sights on getting an education and giving himself and his children better options. The road has not been easy for the 47-year-old retired police officer and father of six.
There have been more setbacks and obstacles than he cares to relate in the last eight or nine years. “A lot of it would sound unbelievable, and I’m still hoping they’ll make a movie out of it someday,” he joked.
One thing Bochicchio knows for sure: “Quitting is not an option. You have to keep moving forward,” he said.
That attitude brought some unexpected support from Executive Women International Inc., a nonprofit group of diverse business women who encourage personal development and community involvement. The local chapter of EWI awarded Bochicchio with a $2,000 scholarship to help pay for tuition and books at Georgia Perimeter College this year.
Although he didn’t know it at the time, that put him in the running for one of 13 national EWI ASIST (Adult Students in Scholastic Transition) scholarships, which range from $2,000 to $10,000. He recently became the first man and the first Georgian to win the top scholarship of $10,000.
The money will help Bocchichio finish his associate degree in business administration (with a health care concentration) this May. He plans to transfer to Georgia State University and earn a bachelor’s degree in business and economics.
Bochicchio was surprised and grateful to win the EWI grants.
“They are based on need, and sometimes people just need a hand,” he said. “Winning the scholarships has made me stand out with my kids; it’s something they’re proud of. I’m not the smartest guy, but I’m glad I put the time into writing that essay. I want them to know they have options.”
Getting a college degree wasn’t important to Bochicchio when he graduated from high school in 1985 in Waterbury, Conn.
“I’m more of a hands-on person and school was never my thing,” he said. “Instead, I went straight into law enforcement and spent 20 years on the police force. I held business and administrative positions and became the head of purchasing and finance, managing a budget of $23 million.”
Bochicchio retired and took his pension in 2005 after his brother passed away. Bochicchio and his wife, who had four children of their own, adopted his brother’s two children.
“It was the natural thing to do. We had a house on a lake and his children had grown up playing with mine. Anyone would have done the same,” he said.
He planned to devote more time to a side property business and being a stay-at-home father. But a flood and a lack of flood insurance wiped out about $250,000 in assets.
“I had done well in my career and business and we lived pretty well, but suddenly we were just a couple of hundred dollars above the poverty level,” he said.
After Bochicchio and his wife divorced, he needed to re-enter the job market. He researched cities and schools, and moved his family to metro Atlanta in 2009. He was attracted to the warm weather, the lower cost of living, top-ranked schools in Forsyth County, a strong Christian environment, and the possibility of the HOPE scholarship for his younger children.
“I wasn’t thinking about college myself. I was looking for a business administrative position. In 2009 the pool of applicants was immense and I didn’t even meet the requirements. I had the experience, but no college degree,” he said.
With four children attending college in other states, Bochicchio enrolled in Georgia Perimeter College in 2010.
“It was a totally new environment. I was older than most students and they knew a lot more,” he said. “I hadn’t taken math since an advanced algebra class in eighth grade and I never had chemistry in high school. I had to learn how to learn.
“Fortunately, GPC has actual professors teaching classes, not teaching assistants, and they will help you. This college is not only accessible and affordable, but you get a high-quality education.”
Bochicchio got involved in campus life when he realized the school offered many resources that students didn’t know about and weren’t using. He was elected Student Government Association president at the school’s Alpharetta campus.
“Last year, we only had a couple of people involved and now we’ve more than doubled it. I got them involved and now they’re planning their own activities,” he said.
He also volunteers at church and in his community.
“I like being part of something bigger than myself. I love my community here and want to better it if I can. My kids keep me going and I want the best for them,” he said.
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