Steve Merkouris is a business management major set to graduate in the Fall of 2024. Over the past 16 months, his academic and personal life have changed for the better.  
Steve said, “In the summer of 2023, I decided to leave my full-time position as a manager at TopGolf and pursue my bachelor’s degree at FSC. A decision I struggled to make due to my history of shortcomings in college twice before, once at Penn State University and then again at Suffolk Community College. I often found myself dealing with daily anxiety in college classroom settings and thought I would never get my degree because of it. 
 
 
The moment I decided to leave my job to once again pursue my education, I knew I was taking a gamble on myself. I wasn’t sure what would happen if it didn’t work out a third time, but I promised myself that this time would be different. In the fall of 2022, I picked up a part time coaching position for children’s sports and I enrolled full time at Farmingdale: I was ready for my 3rd go on the journey toward graduating from college.” 
 
 
Unfortunately, 8 months later Steve hit what he referred to as “rock bottom.” He was starting to question everything. Was he wrong for going back to school? Should he have stayed working at his full-time position? These thoughts were heavily influenced by 3 major obstacles that had a major toll on his mental and physical health: 
 
 
“First,” he said, “was that I had just suddenly become unemployed. My boss at the time was forced to lay off staff, and I, unfortunately, was one of the coaches that had to be let go. What made this even more difficult was the timing that they broke the news to me - the day before my birthday.  
 
 
Second, was that I had put on a staggering amount of weight over the last several months and started to have serious health issues. I was living a very unhealthy lifestyle, and it was only getting worse. I now was faced with the possibility of becoming a diabetic. 
Third, was that I was ready to drop out of school. Suddenly becoming unemployed, and being incredibly depressed about my obesity, brought me to a point that dropping out of school for a third time was becoming a reality.” 
 
 
These issues and more are very common to have in college and in sharing Steve’s journey, we hope to let you know that you are not alone and can turn things around. 
“Everything changed one April morning when I came across a flyer in the main entrance of the School of Business,” Steve said. “The flyer was for a competition, that at the time, was called the Student Business Plan Competition but is now formally known as Ram Tank (Farmingdale’s student version of the hit TV show Shark Tank). 
 
 
My entire life I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur – my own boss. When I was younger and kids my age wanted to be the next Lebron James or Taylor Swift, I wanted to be the next Steve Jobs. And so, in April of 2023, on one of the many mornings that month where I forced myself out of bed and dragged my feet into class, I came across this flyer that shined in my eyes as if it were a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. 
As luck would have it, my brother happened to also be a student at FSC during that time and so I brought the flyer home that night and asked if he was interested in participating. We spent the next four hours in our basement brainstorming ideas for the competition and came up with our product, Cube V.  
 
 
For the next 2 ½ months we spent countless hours calculating financial plans, creating market analyses, designing our product, and even creating a prototype for Cube V. We practiced our 8-minute presentation time and time and time again until we could recite every line like it was the hit song “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. When the time came to present, we were ready.” 
This shows that even at rock bottom, you can find your way back to the top. Steve and his brother took home first place at the FSC campus competition, then placed in the top 3 at regionals, and finally competed in the top 10 track for products on the New York State level. They drove up to Albany to compete, and while they did not place, this experience lit a spark in Steve and bloomed a confidence he hadn’t seen in himself in years.  
 
 
“The thing was, that one decision to step outside of my comfort zone and present on the grand stage of Albany, changed the trajectory of my life. It wasn’t just the accomplishment of getting to Albany- it was the work I put into our Business Plan, the hours spent building something out of nothing, and the realization of what was possible when you stay dedicated and disciplined to making something happen. I was proud of myself for what I had accomplished and the adversities I had to overcome to get there,” Steve said. 
After that spring semester, he took the foundation of what he learned from the Business Plan  
 
Competition and made big adjustments to his day-to-day life. He made the President’s List in the next two semesters and found a full-time position as a supervisor in a job that he loves. He also lost over 90 lbs in a 16-month span! Steve was on a roll and even founded the club “Business Society” at Farmingdale. And now, after a few failed attempts at college. He is set to graduate in December of this calendar year! 
 
 
“Going from where I was 16 months ago, to where I am today, is something I never thought possible.” Steve advises, “The most important things I have learned during this time is that life is filled with peaks and valleys; find a way to push through your worst days; stay humble on your best days; and never lose sight of the amazing things you can achieve when you have something to strive to accomplish. If you put in the time, work, and dedication every day you will plant the seeds of future success for years to come. 
 
 
I am extremely grateful to Farmingdale State College for the opportunities it affords each student. It really is the best of both worlds: It is big enough to offer its students challenges and opportunities for growth and yet small enough that you don’t feel lost in a sea of students. I would not have been able to make the changes in my life that I did without Farmingdale, its staff and faculty, and the students I met along the way! 
 
 
I am thankful to have had the opportunity to share this story with other students here at FSC.  Continue to challenge yourself and look to push past your comfort zone. Work towards the best version of your future self and don’t underestimate what you can accomplish. For me, it started with a simple flyer and ended with life changes that I never thought were possible. Don’t be afraid to take that first step, and when you take it… never look back!”