My 1.0 at Binghamton is among the best things that have ever happened to me.

I was recently asked by an interviewer for a fun fact that people might not know about me. Typically, I opt for “I ride a motorcycle.” On this particular day, I went a little deeper into the archive and referenced my 1.0 at Binghamton University in the fall of 2006.

A 1.0 is not something you really brag about. I remember back then feeling like I had just filed for educational bankruptcy. I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, let alone the path in front of me.

In my teens, I didn’t really focus on being invested in the school. I started working when I was 14, and the influx of money and feeling of being semi-self-sufficient was something I wanted more of. Some classes came easier than others, balancing the scales and leaving me with an 83 average upon graduation. I did just enough to get by.

My college application process was a form on Suffolk Community College’s website that asked for my name and address. There were no essays. There might have been a letter of recommendation.

My freshman year was great. Making new connections at a new school was fun. I found that I missed seeing people from high school and felt a bit of schadenfreude when I saw people in the second semester who had gone away but wound up returning to Long Island. Back then, you could pretend you were still at your first choice school on Facebook when you were really living back home with your parents.

Many factors led to my lackluster performance in the fall of 2006. Ultimately, it amounted to several issues that were both in and out of my control.

I had visited my sister for graduation weekend after my freshman year of college and thought, “I could do this.” I applied to the Binghamton School of Management and was denied over the phone. Not to be deterred, I asked if they would consider me for the liberal arts school. Moments later, the same person who delivered the bad news greeted me with a happier tone. They were willing to let me come after all.

As it turns out, there’s nothing advantageous about deciding you want to attend a university two months before classes begin.

I remember being among the first to move in. Like most schools, Binghamton takes pity on the transfer kids. I unloaded my ’94 Ford Bronco and called it a night after a long day of running around campus. That’s when the fun began. You see, I was tripled in a double. Roommate #3 hadn’t arrived yet, but the room was already unnavigable.

I woke up on day 2 at Bing to my first on-campus communication:

Kenny — Campus police were trying to contact you. You missed the sign that said “don’t park here” and they towed your car across campus to the events center.”

I took the mile walk from College in the Woods across campus to collect my displaced car, which now had a $150 ticket under the windshield wiper. Next up was class registration.

Somewhere in between losing and reacquiring my car, I picked classes out of a print catalog. Back then, the Internet was a work-in-progress, especially in academia. The course management website was a step down from Suffolk, but I rolled with it. I picked out 5 classes, including Microeconomics, in which I got a D in my first year of school.

As we passed the 45-minute mark of registration, tragedy struck, and the server crashed. Cautious optimism filled the room. Surely everything would be fine. Moments later, we were greeted with a login screen. Our schedules were gone; what’s more, my selections were now full. Hope turned to panic as we had to find alternatives on the fly.

At this point, I began to find humor in all of this.

The semester began. I was able to change one or two classes and get back towards a course trajectory that made sense. I was more than happy to part with my ENG 300 Globalization class.

It’s amazing how our environment can contribute to success and failure. I did well in my early morning classes but had poor attendance because I couldn’t sleep in my noisy suite. I also learned that I didn’t do well in lecture hall environments.

The semester came and went. The holidays were mired in regret. I learned a lot about myself at Binghamton. I ventured into the unknown and hit some roadblocks. It costs time. It costs money.

I returned to Suffolk in the spring and landed at Farmingdale State University a year later. By that point, I had a better idea of who I was and who I wanted to be. I was on the 5-year plan and found a communications program that suited me.

In the fall of my fifth year, I was introduced to a small organization called the “I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation” and became an intern.

This tiny non-profit would eventually grow up to be Stupid Cancer.

My internship turned into a full-time job offer a month before graduation in May 2010. Today, I am the Chief Operating Officer at Stupid Cancer, the nation's largest non-profit that comprehensively addresses the unmet needs of cancer survivors in their 20s and 30s.

Funny how time sorts things.

Over the past 6 years, I have traveled to 39 states, made thousands of connections, and experienced financial independence. I’ve had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Three years ago, I began dabbling with selling online. I’m currently paid to blog on the subject. Last November, I started my own boutique consultancy helping small business owners and non-profit organizations.

With so many people in my newsfeed going back to school, I can’t help but wish someone had told me how important that semester would be.

Last summer, I returned to Binghamton for the first time in almost a decade while I was out on Warped Tour. I was happy to see that it hadn’t changed.

Learn more about Stupid Cancer at http://stupidcancer.org.