WHAT'S AT RISK?Typical students at career schools are not lucky, but theyare brave. They are taking the steps they need to get abetter life. Some risk everything they have to attendschool. Some have been told all their lives that theycouldn’t do it. But with the help of career college faculty and staff,here they are. They’ve done it, against the odds.overcomingadversity WHAT'S AT RISK? | 26
quiana"As always, I am a determined person with a lot of aspirations. Being homeless and going through that rough patch in my lifewas a lesson that I have learned. The road wasn’t easy given the obstacles that I was faced with. A lot of times the shelters werefull, and I had to make due and find a spot to sleep in the open streets. Meanwhile, while all this was going on, I would studyin the libraries and write my papers there."The local women’s center allowed me to use their address for mail and delivery of my textbooks from CTU. They werefascinated about me going to college at CTU Online. They encouraged me to speak to the other homeless women and be anadvocate. Attending CTU was the most awesome experience that I could ever encounter. Obtaining my degree from CTUhelped open doors that were never open before."I have landed jobs with some great, well-respected companies and universities because of my education at CTU. My degreeshelped me get a job at Florida Institute of Technology as a primary professor in the online department. It has also helped meget my job at Kaplan University as an instructor in public health and prior learning assessor, and I just found out that I willget promoted to course lead. CTU has also hired me as an instructor. I am currently a Doctor of Computer Science studentcandidate at Colorado Technical University. I am so glad to be given the opportunity to give back to CTU. CTU is my family,and they have helped me so much because I can share my testimonial to my students. This whole experience attending CTUwhile battling adversity was a lesson learned. CTU has taught me that anything is possible if you work hard enough to get it; itmakes the impossible possible." ◄Quiana BradshawCTU Online• B.S. in InformationTechnology, 2006• Executive MBA, 2007• MBA, HealthcareManagement, 2008maria"My name is Maria Aponte and I am 35 yearsold. I live in Saint Cloud, Fla., and I am anAshford University graduate. My childhood wasdifficult; my elementary years were spent in fosterhomes and youth shelters, and my teenage yearswere spent living on the streets. By the age of 20,I had given birth to four children and had buriedtwo of them. For me, the most important thingwas to make sure I provided my children with asafe place to sleep and good schools to attend. So,I worked really hard at work and at covering upthe fact that I only had a seventh grade education."My hard work paid off. I have successfullyraised four happy, healthy children – three of myown and my niece, who I am in the process ofadopting. Because of my own experience withlife without an education, I made educationa primary focus in my household. It’s not justabout the grades; it’s about the knowledge thatcomes from learning."To reinforce this idea, I made the decision totake the GED. I wanted a better life and a chanceto show my kids that anything is possible if youdesire it and are motivated to achieve it. WhenI passed the GED, I celebrated by enrolling incollege. Four years later on May 9, 2010, I walkedacross the stage in Clinton, Iowa, and receivedmy Bachelor of Arts degree with double majors inPsychology and Social Science with an Educationconcentration."Now, I am applying to premedical programs withthe end goal of earning an M.D. in neurologyand a Ph.D. in Psychiatry. My dream is to launcha safe house for teenage children living on thestreets so that they can have the opportunity to bewho they are and get the guidance they need." ◄Maria AponteAshford University• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology• Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciencewith Education concentrationtoniToni"People always assume that a condition likeCerebral Palsy automatically groups you withcertain individuals, “special needs” people whoare never expected to amount to much in life.Because of this, I have been treated differentlyall my life."When I walked into Harrison, I had justrecently turned 21 and had been throughtwo part-time jobs. I was tired of working inenvironments where I felt stuck. I decidedI needed to change. I was worried about thecost of my education, how I would fair inclasses, and if my career choice was the bestfit. Harrison was able to walk me througheverything. I enrolled as a Medical OfficeAssistant."The staff at Harrison was wonderful. Theopen-door policy was great, and the instructorsare willing to work with you and make sureyou succeed. They want to talk with you, tohelp you, to make you feel like you were a partof them. I’m proud to say that I never felt I wasat a disadvantage. I was never turned down orturned away. I made Dean’s List every quarter.I feel that with the courses I took, I have a firmgrip on what my career is going to entail."I want to extend my gratitude to HarrisonCollege. They allowed me to better myself andgave me the confidence to reach my goal. I’moptimistic about finding a job within my field.I owe it all to Harrison College. I will neverregret furthering my education, and if I had todo it over, I would not go anywhere else." ◄Mullin, Future 2010 GraduateHarrison College – AndersonMedical Office Assistant
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