I’ve been in the mortgage industry for 13 years when suddenly things changed. In 2006 I went through 2 companies and 2007 4 companies because of mergers or buyouts. In December 2007 2 weeks before Christmas we were told “we’re closing get out”. I was devastated. I’m a single mother with one income. After a few days I pulled myself together and realized I couldn’t let other people control my life. First I found another job and then decided to go back to school. Originally I chose a different college and was struggling because classes were hard to follow and instructors didn’t seem to care. Graded assignment would come back stating I had things wrong and after research I’d contact the instructor and he’d say “That information isn’t in the book” or “the assignment hadn’t been updated or the book outdated”. Going back to school was hard enough while working 50 hours weekly, going to my son’s baseball games, band concerts and volunteering to help the band at football games. I decided to try Rio Salado College online. That was the best decision I’ve ever made.There are more classes to choose from and I can learn at my own pace. Classes are flexible and I can choose how many weeks I want to be in a class. If I want to learn at a faster pace I take the shorter term or I could take the longer term, and move at a faster pace when I had the time and finish the class early to start another class. How amazing is that!! On top of everything the instructors are fantastic! If I have a question I just email my instructor and I receive a response right away. I’m now in my second year and a 4.0 GPA working towards a computer technology degree. I know I sound like a commercial for Rio Salado but I couldn’t have done it without them. Giving me the flexibility plus the ease of learning is what inspires me to continue to my goal. Rio Salado helped me realize I’m the only one that controls my life and destiny. Thank you Rio Salado!

Signed,
Chickie Sirakis