Meet Eboni L.

Human Services student

Eboni Linen has valued the power of education her whole life. While growing up, she realized that she wanted to learn how to help others for a living; something she did on a daily basis.

“There was an older man that used to live across the street from my grandma when I was a child and he had all these stories that he would tell me,” said Eboni. “I saw how me going there and speaking with him regularly helped him go from keeping to himself to being a really outgoing person. I knew that I could do something to help people, even if that is just a conversation.”

After getting to know her high school’s social worker and seeing the impact she made on those around her, Eboni decided she wanted to pursue a career in social work to make that same kind of difference in people’s lives.

After starting out at a local four-year institution, Eboni found herself looking for a new fit and was led to Hudson Valley after hearing from her friends about the inviting community of students, professors and support staff on campus.

“I went to Hudson Valley for an event, and everybody was so supportive, so nice and very welcoming,” said Eboni. “There was such a sense of community. You feel very involved and a part of it.”

While attending HVCC, Eboni had multiple obstacles arise in her personal life, making it more and more difficult to come to campus every day for her classes. After contemplation, she made the decision to stop her education for the time being and focus on work, always hoping to one day return, she said.

Even while she was not an enrolled student, Eboni found herself using the knowledge she gained from the courses she had taken during her time at HVCC. After seven years since her time as an HVCC student and through conversations with friends and family, Eboni decided it was finally time to return to campus and finish her Human Services degree.

Returning to the program in the fall of 2024, Eboni says she’s now not only learning how to care for others but also for herself.

“One of my professors told us, ‘You are a person first and a student second,’ and that really stuck with me because when you're in the helping field, a lot of times you put everyone above yourself,” said Eboni. “It gets very real in human services, and it's great because in the program, they don't sugarcoat things, but you are walked through and guided through the hard topics.”

As for the future, Eboni plans on continuing her education after she graduates from HVCC.

“Being at Hudson Valley reminded me how much I love being a student and learning,” said Eboni. “Learning more and having access to all these resources and knowledge is awesome, so I’m definitely going to keep going to school further.”

Career-wise, Eboni has many aspirations that she plans to explore, some of that may lead her back to HVCC one day.

“I have a lot of interests and passions,” said Eboni. “I know I want to eventually have my own business and have my own daycare because I’m very passionate about children and children’s education. One of my options is going back to Hudson Valley to do the Early Education program.”

For students interested in HVCC’s Human Services program, Eboni encourages students to take action.

“Just do it,” said Eboni. “Hudson Valley is a very warm and welcoming place. I feel I’m way more prepared now for almost any job in the field.”