SYNERGY - Juneteenth 2022

omar

Omar Jennings

Story By: Samantha Chery

Omar Jennings knew he wanted a career that used his skills as a changemaker to better people’s lives. But he never expected his own path to be changed as a result.

Omar, 34, is an academic adviser for information technology education at Santa Fe College. Before starting the position, he didn’t know a lot about IT. But as he reflected on his journey, Omar said he felt called to educate, lead and problem solve, roles he has assumed throughout his life.

“My long-term goal is to find a way to bridge the educational gap as it relates to the lack of access for rural, underserved and minority communities,” he wrote in a purpose statement. In his work, he talks to prospective students and helps them realize their potential in IT based on their interests.

“Before I can properly advise … I gotta know what areas are going to be best for you, so I need to know your personality type,” he said.

Omar’s knack for building relationships and connecting with people has brought great success to Santa Fe’s information technology department. His charisma is also the engine that has pushed his career forward.

His career started at 13 years old when he landed his first job as a community tutor at the SWAG Center. It was at the center that he strengthened his abilities as a peer leader.

Although Omar was a hard worker and an A/B honor roll student throughout grade school, he still had hurdles to jump through in higher education. When he started school at Santa Fe College, he aspired to complete nursing school while working as a certified nursing assistant to afford his classes. However, his responsibilities outside of school made it impossible for him to keep up.

“My mom had just moved back from out of town. [I was] trying to work full time, trying to check on my younger siblings, trying to be a mentor and example to them. There just wasn’t enough time in a day,” he said.

When he expressed his worries to a professor, she told him “Guys really shouldn’t be nurses any- way.” The stinging comment made Omar even more determined to follow his dreams, even if he couldn’t find his way as a nurse. He left the nursing program and started studying in the newly-minted health services administration department. Simultaneously, he did work study in the IT department and applied for scholarships.

Omar refused to let the professor’s limitations define him, and he and others started a chapter of My Brother’s Keeper to provide a safe space for Black and Hispanic men in the higher education arena.

“It’s really about enriching and providing a community and brotherhood for minority males to achieve not only getting into college, but graduating from college,” he said.

In addition to receiving his associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from Santa Fe, Omar learned how to be resilient. After graduating, Omar worked in various health care positions, from being a mental health technician to working in nursing homes and elder care. He enjoyed his work, and his salary steadily increased.

But Santa Fe gave him an opportunity to fulfill a mission he couldn’t turn away from. Omar wanted to provide Black male representation, so he returned to his alma mater as an adviser. He helped with the college’s Upward Bound program before moving to his current advising job.

Getting the job to work in the same IT department that he did work study in was a “full-circle moment,” Omar said, and a way for him to continue fostering relationships.

Now, Omar is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Florida in curriculum and instruction with a focus in educational technology. He also created Jenisis LLC, in which he mentors educators and social workers on how to solve the problems of the people they serve.

“Education is a predictor of whether a student will succeed in the future. With the current gap in educational achievement driven by economic status, more and more students from lower economic backgrounds are finding themselves behind the eight ball,” Omar wrote. “This is why I’ve chosen education as a vehicle for change for myself, my community and others.”