His Life Direction Changed At PCCC

“I would not be who I am today without Passaic County Community College,” says 2019 alumnus Casey Bucceri.  A licensed clinical social worker and alcohol and drug counselor, Casey is employed by a counseling agency, runs his own virtual counseling service, teaches social work classes at Kean University, and enjoys happiness at home. “Life is good,” he says.

But before Casey came to PCCC, his life was not so good. As a teenager, he fell into what became a years-long downward spiral of drug abuse, homelessness, and even prison time for drug-related arrests. “I didn’t like who I was then,” he says.

By his early thirties, Casey lived in a halfway house in Paterson. He went out one day to look for a job, but headed first to Dunkin’ Donuts for a coffee. On the way, he saw a sign for PCCC.  “I realized that to do anything to improve my life, I would need an education.”

Casey skipped the coffee and followed the sign to PCCC. Encouraged by the welcome and support he received there, Casey became a new student set out to turn his life around.

Determined to succeed, Casey attended PCCC full-time while also working full-time making pizzas. “It was hard. I studied late at night after work, but I loved learning. I realized that I was becoming who I really am.”

Casey excelled in his classes, and was invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. He graduated with a 3.9 GPA, highest honors, and an associate’s degree in Human Services. Selected as salutatorian of the Winter 2020 commencement ceremony, Casey delivered an emotional speech of gratitude and appreciation for PCCC.

Attending Rutgers University on a full scholarship, Casey earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree (2021) and went on to Kean University to complete a Master of Social Work degree in May 2022.

Over the years, Casey kept a goal board to stay focused on what he wanted to achieve, checking off each accomplishment of his journey. “The most recent goal I checked off the board was to teach at Kean,” he says.

Now teaching graduate level classes at Kean, Casey calls himself “a dork who loves education,” and adds, “I really enjoy teaching young inquisitive minds.”

Even more gratifying, though, has been his work as a therapist and counselor. “Guiding people as they navigate their life and being part of their journey is a special job.”

As someone who has been both client and counselor, Casey admits that the most challenging part of the job is to resist giving advice. “Therapists are not there to give clients the answers. Our job is to help them find their own answers.”

Grateful to the professors and advisors at PCCC who guided him to self discovery, Casey expressed special thanks to (now retired) Human Services Professor Michael D’Arcangelo. “He is the one who saw the social worker in me and helped me to see that, too.”

A survivor of two heart attacks, Casey feels he is “living on borrowed time,” and strives to make the most of it. He aims to continue his education towards a doctorate in social work and possibly to dedicate more time to teaching.

On the personal side, Casey enjoys a fulfilling relationship with his girlfriend and her young son, and he has also mended the relationship with his mother that was broken during his troubled past.  

“My time at PCCC became the most important time of my life,” says Casey. “People were there for me when I really needed it, and their kindness and support changed the entire direction of my life.”

By Linda Telesco