Then and Now

I heard about SLCC from family who lived in Utah, so I figured I would check it out for one semester before leaving on my LDS mission. I enjoyed it enough that I came back to it after my mission in the West Indies.

I was working two jobs and paying for my own education while at SLCC, so the locations and class times were convenient and conducive to my schedule. But I'll be honest with you, there were times I really struggled to continue—my attitude was to just get through it. Then other times I was laser focused and determined, knowing that it would pay off.

I had to withdraw one semester because of a family crisis and additional financial pressure, but I came back and kept at it because I knew education would help me grow personally and professionally. With all I had going on, I wasn't the smartest student in the class, but I worked hard. It helped that classes were small and teachers accessible, so it was easy to ask questions and get help. I really connected with some of my professors; my personal finance teacher was amazing.

"I'll be honest with you, there were times I really struggled to continue—my attitude was to just get through it."

While at SLCC, I worked part-time as a bank teller at Cyprus Federal Credit Union, and have been there over 19 years. I'm now the chief operating officer of the credit union, which has 22 branches and over $1.8 billion in assets. I've been lucky to grow here—new opportunities and the company culture have kept me here.

I do believe SLCC helped me get to where I am today, and I still plan to return to school to earn my bachelor's in possibly business management and administration or economics.

Advice

Take advantage of every opportunity that you can. My career experience is a direct result of placing myself in the path of opportunities and being willing to take on new roles even if it was a stretch. You never know what can happen when you put yourself up to a task and work hard—in school and in your career.