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Josh Floyd is a true example of how it’s never too late to go back to school. At age 42, he recently graduated from Southeast Community College’s Lincoln Campus with an associate degree in Business.

“I was very nervous going to college,” Floyd said. “I had no idea what to expect and, to be very honest, I was embarrassed to be the old guy in class. But not one time in any of my classes did I feel like I didn’t belong. I felt welcomed and accepted across the board, and my life experience was an asset in many classes. I truly and genuinely enjoyed my time at SCC.”

Even though he has more than a decade of management experience in various jobs, he still had a hard time finding jobs that weren’t entry-level. Once he became involved in a tech start-up, he realized he needed to enroll at SCC.

“I realized fast that I needed a college degree, along with much more business knowledge to put me on the right trajectory toward the future I wanted for myself and my family,” he said.

SCC instructor Bob Zetocha taught Floyd in a speech communication course and said Floyd served as a mentor to the other students, and they all encouraged each other in their educational paths.

“His transparency in the stories he shared helped the other students to feel more comfortable in their personal journeys as well as their experiences in the classroom,” Zetocha said. “I think that Josh felt welcomed because he and the other students felt safe and encouraged each other.”

“Many of my classes were small enough that we could have open discussions often, and I felt encouraged to speak up if I had a question or even something more to add,” Floyd said.

During his time at SCC, Floyd worked at Broadcast House in Lincoln where he dabbled in a number of things, including working as a DJ and doing traffic reports. He currently produces a Saturday morning show on KLIN radio.

“I’m most proud of producing a radio show called ‘OneShot. OneLife,’ ” he said. “The host brings experts on the show in the areas of money, people, faith, work, health, and hopes and dreams to help people succeed in all of these areas. Helping people is a passion of mine, and I’m glad I work for a company that sees the value in a show like ours.”

In addition to that job, he also works at Zeng Granite full-time since he graduated. In the short-term, he’s enjoying life and spending time with his family. Long-term, he isn’t ruling out more education, and perhaps one day will become a motivational speaker.

“I feel I have a lot of hard-earned experience that would be very beneficial for many people,” he said.