Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES

Thom Higgins’ 15-year career at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES has taken him through a variety of Compass and Career and Technical Education (CTE) classrooms, from Auto Technology to Criminal Justice.

Higgins’ career at BOCES has been shaped by years of experience beyond the classroom. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, and was stationed in Illinois for three years before being assigned to Germany. It was there that he met his wife, who is from Cato. The two moved around when they returned to the United States before eventually settling down in Cayuga County.

Higgins worked at a law firm for six years before making the switch to education. He substituted at BOCES and in local schools, then got a full-time role at BOCES in 2009 as a teacher assistant in Compass (known as Alt 2 at the time). Later, he moved to the CTE Department.

Over the years, Higgins has supported students as a teacher assistant across several CTE programs, including Auto Technology, Machining and Welding, and Criminal Justice, where he has worked since 2016.

“My military and law firm experience is more closely tied to the skills we teach in Criminal Justice,” Higgins said. “That’s why I’ve stayed here.”

While the curriculum remains the same, the Criminal Justice class evolves every year. 

“There’s so many possibilities,” he said. “We have this courtroom setup, which we didn’t have a few years ago. It was mostly corrections, policing, and a little bit of law. Now, we can do mock trials.”

Every day, the students remind him of why he has stayed at BOCES. Whether he’s guiding them through mock trials, teaching fingerprinting techniques, or simply greeting them as they walk through the door, he finds purpose in helping students grow.

“We never had anyone in SkillsUSA before, so we made a big push for that, and having our students win at the state level last year was awesome,” he said.

While he has found himself in many different classrooms, Higgins’ enthusiasm for learning has never faded. He’s learned how to change tires in Auto Technology and how to use a plasma cutter in Machining and Welding. While in Machining and Welding, he created a four-foot steel American flag, which is still on display in the shop.

“There’s always something new to do here,” Higgins said. “And there’s something to learn from every single person in this building.”

Outside of BOCES, Higgins enjoys being outdoors, walking his dog, and traveling.