With CTEC training, she is now earning a high-paying job with Flagstaff medical device manufacturer
There is a great story written by J.J. McCormick in the September Yavapai Community College newsletter about Gwendolin “Gwen” Foley. She is now 46 and enjoying a high-paying job with a Flagstaff medical device manufacturer because of her certificate in industrial machine maintenance from Yavapai Community College.
She began he quest for the certificate while living in Williams, Arizona and commuting to the Career and Technical Education Center at the Prescott airport, which is about 70 miles one way. In his story, McCormick provides insight into the determination behind obtaining that certificate. McCormick writes:
Gwen, now 46, recalled thinking at the time that she was too old to go back to school. She recalls also wondering if she would be happy working in manufacturing for 20 more years, or longer. The answer: “That’s a long time. In two years I could have the job I want and work until I retire doing what I want and making more money.”
That self-reflection, her family’s support, and her employer’s tuition reimbursement program combined to convince Gwen to enroll in YC’s Advanced Manufacturing Program at the Career and Technical Education Center in Prescott. The program offered Gwen exactly what she needed for the job at WL Gore that she had set her sights on – courses like electronics, welding and hydraulics – without requiring English and other undergraduate classes she didn’t need. YC instructors would direct Gwen to scholarships when she couldn’t afford needed supplies, or would teach her during their office hours when a class conflicted with her work schedule. “They were very accommodating,” Gwen said of her YC instructors. “If you ask, they will help you get through.”
Gwen’s work ethic and drive to succeed twice earned her the Advanced Manufacturing Program’s Outstanding Student award. CTEC Professor Charles Allmon described Gwen as a “natural leader” who was always organized and prepared for class. “She shouldered a leadership role with her fellow students as a true leader does. A true leader also brings everyone around him/her along with them. Gwen has this quality.”