Blog Posts

Aida Meza | American Career College

10/3/2019

Aida was born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico 58 years ago. She is the second child in a family of four. She graduated from secretarial school and worked for a few years. When she went on vacation to visit her aunt in California she decided she wanted to stay.

She got a job in a warehouse, fell in love, and started a family. When she was pregnant with her second child her boyfriend abandoned her to raise her kids alone. She worked 2 to 3 jobs to make ends meet over the next few years. On her lunch hour she would go to the daycare and watch children to help subsidize the cost. The years passed by quickly and when she got laid off from a job, she decided to go to school to study accounting. She would drive from Lynwood to her kids’ school in LA to Cerritos every day.

Jennifer Blatnick | Broadview University

9/26/2019

My path to graduation began in 2016 when I was 35 years old. I worked in the human services field working with people with disabilities for more than 14 years. I got as far up the company ladder as I could and I couldn’t go any further, due to
the higher positions always being full.

In 2016 my mom passed away and it made me seriously think about where I was in life and if I was truly happy. I realized that I had the potential to do so much more and I needed a change.

Orlando Wyl Lima | Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

9/19/2019

When I used to think of success, I had a pretty bad habit of always looking at the end result. I will be successful when...I will be successful if...

The last three years of my life showed me that there are levels to everything that you do in life. The acknowledgment of said levels and attaining them can and very much should be looked at as success. Two years ago, I lived in my car just so I could get into the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. I sacrificed. Mind you, I had a comfortable life for an unstable and relentless pursuit but I also had a vision: work for a Michelin starred restaurant and chef.

Christina Roman - Auguste Escoffier, School of Culinary Arts

9/17/2019

After working as a Registered Nurse for 10 years and buying hundreds of cookbooks, Christina Roman decided it was the right time to pursue her passion for food.

Being a single mom with a full-time job, she enrolled in the Escoffier Online Culinary Arts Fundamentals program because it fit her busy schedule and lifestyle. “The program enabled me to learn the foundation of professional cooking and instilled essential skills needed to make it in the industry. Doing my externship opened my eyes to the dedication and hard work that goes on behind the scenes in a restaurant,” Christina said.

Jessica Segura | San Juaquin Valley College

9/9/2019

Jessica entered the SJVC Criminal Justice program at the Ontario campus in 2014 as an inexperienced 18 year old. She lived at home with her family that included a sister raising a son on her own. Jessica loved her nephew but was determined not to follow that course. Jessica applied herself in school and was a very good student. She inquired about and revived the CJ leadership program, eventually becoming the CJ Club President. She mentored and assisted other students willingly. She organized and participated in school fundraisers to help CJ students with financial needs, and she helped on occasions when the CJ students pitched in to help others in the community who needed help. Additionally, she volunteered to perform over 100 community service hours yearly. Her instructors knew her as being someone who was smart, mature and determined to never give up. She graduated from SJVC in July 2015 with a 3.5 GPA, and she never missed a day of class.

Jazmuyn West | Bellus Academy

9/9/2019

I began my journey at Bellus Academy as a working makeup artist looking for a certification and to learn more. My husband had just deployed to Afghanistan and I was determined to occupy my time and make friends while he was gone.

I chose Esthetics simply because skin care went hand- in-hand with makeup. I immediately fell in love with the instructor, Amanda, and wanted to soak up every ounce of knowledge that she had to give plus more.

Dionne Jaques | Nightingale College

9/6/2019

Don’t let your limitations slow you down - A simple, yet inspiring message that deaf nurse Dionne shared during her valedictorian speech at the May 2017 Nightingale College graduation. While she stood on stage, beneath the bright lights, she recapped her cohort’s experiences in nursing school.

Becoming a nurse was a goal Dionne set for herself in 1977 when she was caring for her ailing mother and ill daughter. However, finding a program that would fit her needs proved difficult as nursing schools resisted her joining.

Kara Norsworthy | Tulsa Welding School

9/5/2019

In May 2016, Kara was a flight attendant who had never used a power tool. Ten months later, she accepted a job with Huntington Ingalls before she even graduated from the Professional Welder with Pipefitting program at Tulsa Welding School Jacksonville.

The 27-year-old’s journey to TWS Jacksonville started in San Diego, California where she toured the USS Midway and drooled over the beauty of the welds. “I got really excited, and I knew this is what I want to do,” says Kara, who was looking for a more fulfilling career that still allowed her to travel.

She liked that TWS allowed students to come early or stay late for extra practice and brush up skills on campus after graduation. At first, she was scared and found the work hot and tiring, but Kara made the adjustment and began to excel at school. She maintained a 4.0 GPA during her tenure at TWS and earned three Top One awards, meaning the highest grade and best attendance in the class.

William Newel | Asher College

9/4/2019

In August of 2014 William found himself in the middle of rioting and tension in Ferguson, Missouri. This was particularly disturbing because Ferguson was his home town. The place where he had grown up with his mom and brothers and sisters. He was considered a success in his community, running a well-known barber shop for several years. One angry and violent night that all came crashing down as William’s shop got caught in the crossfire and was inadvertently burned to the ground. Dazed and disillusioned William decided he needed a change and moved to Sacramento California.

Craig Cooper | Florida National University

9/3/2019

My success story starts about 7 years ago when I began working as a rehabilitation aide at a hospital in Texas, where I am from. I had no experience working in the medical field and was very hesitant about venturing into this field. However, I soon fell in love with the physical therapy profession for many reasons. I enjoyed being able to help people get back to their normal life after such life altering events, such as illness or accidents. I enjoyed being able to make a difference in someone’s life and health, and found myself coming home every day proud of what I do and looking forward to going to work the next morning. Throughout my time as a rehabilitation aide, I was fortunate enough to gain experience in different settings. I worked at inpatient hospitals and long term acute care hospitals, and I quickly realized this is the career I wanted to pursue.

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2019 Student success stories