Meet NYCHA-CUNY Scholar Eric Cherry
Eric Cherry’s path toward higher education has been far from traditional.
Soon after graduating high school, Mr. Cherry joined the U.S. Air Force, serving for 10 years, including as an emergency room technician. It wasn’t until decades later, after having spent 16 years in the New York prison system, that Mr. Cherry finally took the opportunity to pursue a college degree.
Now a student in his early 60s, he is currently in his third semester of an associate degree program in digital marketing at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). Mr. Cherry, a NYCHA Section 8 participant in Queens who earned a 3.96 GPA and made the Dean’s List in the previous semester, has been named a 2026 NYCHA-CUNY Scholar. He was one of a record 108 scholarship recipients this year who were celebrated during a ceremony at NYCHA’s central office in Manhattan on October 2.
Mr. Cherry received the inaugural Scott Anderson Memorial Scholarship, which is named in honor of a founding board member of the Public Housing Community Fund. The scholarship provides NYCHA residents and Section 8 participants with $1,000 for education-related expenses such as tuition, books, and fees. Mr. Cherry said he was thankful to receive some financial support that will help him to “continue the journey.”
“I think it was a great thing that we all could get together and motivate one another,” Mr. Cherry said of the celebration with fellow scholarship honorees.
As he progresses closer toward his goal of a college degree, Mr. Cherry noted it was during his time behind bars that his educational journey began in earnest. To expand his knowledge and keep up with news and world affairs, he immersed himself in reading books, several hundreds of them covering a wide range of subjects. He surmises it was that voracious reading habit that kept his mind sharp over the years and enabled him to better handle the reading demands he would eventually face as a college student.
But he notes that staying up to date with technology advancements while being incarcerated for more than a decade and a half is a wholly different kind of challenge. He knew that one of the best ways to acclimate to the technology changes that emerged over that time was to enroll in college upon his release in December 2024.
“I had been removed from society for so long that I had to upgrade my technological skills to prepare for this new chapter in my life,” he recalled.
While he sacrificed years of his life in prison, he learned much from the experience and doesn’t count it as wasted time.
“During my incarceration, I worked in many environments that required attention to detail, sound judgement, and the ability to communicate with all kinds of people,” he said. “Those experiences helped shape my present character and provided me with valuable lessons that I now utilize in my academic and organizational activities.”
When his eventual freedom allowed him to finally go after some long-sought aspirations, he jumped at the chance to attend college classes. He may be of an older generation than most of his classmates, and even some professors, but that doesn’t mean he’s expecting any less of a workload.
“It’s a challenge being a non-traditional student, but I like it,” Mr. Cherry said. “I’m not getting any special treatment; I have to study and work hard just like anybody else. I’m serving as an example that it is never too late to pursue higher education.”
Outside the classroom, he performs in theatrical productions, helps fellow students access educational resources as a Project Impact Peer Mentor, and serves as a Student Ambassador for Participatory Budgeting, obtaining signatures for citywide projects that impact local communities.
“It has opened up a lot of networking for me,” he said of his extracurricular activities.
Mr. Cherry is setting his sights on earning his associate degree in digital marketing from BMCC by next summer, and he then plans to transfer to Skidmore College to seek a bachelor’s degree in business management. Ultimately, his career goal is to work as a real estate investor, eventually managing his own business.
Though he may be taking an unconventional route to realize his professional aspirations, Mr. Cherry hopes his story can serve as an example of perseverance, determination, and commitment to making one’s dream happen, no matter the stage of life.
“All things are possible,” he concluded. “If you set your goals, work hard, and believe in yourself, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.”
To learn more about the NYCHA-CUNY Resident Scholarship, click here.
To learn about the 2026 scholarship awards ceremony, click here.