Many students go from high school to college, then into the workforce. But Tina Tinelli did things a little differently.
“I had an internship with the government my senior year (of high school) as a work-study. And then I was offered full-time employment, so I went straight into that. I graduated high school, and then about a week later I started a 40-hour work week.”
Because she planned to pursue her cybersecurity degree while working, Tinelli chose AACC for its accessibility and affordability.
“I didn't even apply to any other schools,” she said.
Although she was an online student, Tinelli still wanted some of the traditional college experiences. She joined the AACC women’s soccer team in 2023 and helped AACC to its first Division II NJCAA national tournament appearance in 2024.
While that was the highlight of the season, Tinelli found that the little moments with her teammates and Coach Jim Griffiths were just as meaningful and kept her motivated.
“It doesn't matter how small or how big the issue is,” Tinelli said. Griffiths “always has some helpful input about it.”
Even though her college experience may not have looked like others, those little moments of encouragement added up to big successes. Tinelli will graduate with a 4.0 GPA, was named valedictorian and will speak at commencement, received AACC's Louis L. Siegert award and was named an NJCAA All-American.
Her advice for new college students is, “Don't let other people determine what is good for you and what's not. Because my good for me ended up way better than I thought.”
While she will be transferring to UMGC in the fall to work toward a bachelor’s degree, this isn’t the last AACC will see of Tinelli. She’ll be back in the fall as an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team.