My journey with college started with Graduate! Philadelphia over three years ago. I knew that I wanted to change career paths but was not 100% sure what to do or where to go. Graduate! Philadelphia spoke to me about what career path I had presently and what I was interested in. Graduate! Philadelphia also helped me decide what college would be best to fulfill my educational desires. After a few sessions, I decided on Computer Forensics at Community College of Philadelphia.

My name is Sheila Mixson. I am very grateful to have been connected to Graduate! Philadelphia and the various supportive services provided through them. I was previously successful when attending college, but I encountered some difficult life circumstances that occurred all around the same time. My children's school work also had become more challenging and they required more time and assistance. For these reasons I had to discontinue my classes. The more time that had lapsed since I was in school gave me more doubt about returning. I was very concerned about starting over. I had worked so hard to earn credits and I thought they may not transfer because of the time span.

May 16, 2014. Commencement day, the culmination of all my hard work was about to be celebrated with all my family and friends. I processed in with my fellow Arcadia students, my emotions were on overdrive. I had such a sense of pride in my accomplishments. As my name was called, I walked across the stage to shake hands with the president of Arcadia University and receive my long awaited diploma. Graduate! Philadelphia was very much on mind as this would have not been a reality without them in my corner.

I wish that you could just see how wonderful you all look from my vantage point. Graduate! Philadelphia helped me create what I describe as a defining moment, a moment that changed my life!

Since I began my studies at Philadelphia University in the Accelerated Degree Program in September 2012, the program has provided me with exemplary educational and practical experiences that are very important at this time in my professional career. I am delighted to be part of an educational organization that has provided me with the tools to be successful in today’s industrial world.

Let me start by saying that my journey with Graduate! Philadelphia has been amazing. Graduate! Philadelphia is known for assisting adults in returning back to school. Even though that was not my case they did not turn me away. This would actually be my first time ever in college. They have helped me with my financial aid process, my application fee, tips on do's and don'ts with insider experience, and so much more.

I told myself that when my son was older that I would go to college and get a Bachelors degree. I wanted to attend college when I completed high school, but my mother was a single parent and unfortunately we simply could not afford it. Also, having graduated from high school at the age of 16, I was not focused on fully applying myself in college anyway, but I knew one day that I would be. That day came when my son was a sophomore in college and my pursuit of higher education led me to Graduate! Philadelphia. I’d attempted to go to college when my son was in high school and accomplished completing a math course at Community College of Philadelphia. I registered for two courses that following semester but they both were unexpectedly cancelled. Lack of time and available course selections, I was unable to register in that semester and did not pursue college any further.

Graduate! Philadelphia Comebacker Desiree Neal is a Philadelphia native who grew up in a family of singers and entertainers, and was destined to be a star in her own right. Some may know her by her on-air personality, “Dezzie” at Praise 103.9FM. Desiree is approaching her second year returning to college, has maintained a 3.45 GPA, and plans to graduate in May of 2015.

Graduate Philadelphia! Where would I be today if it were not for this organization? I was out of work and indecisive of my next course of action. I went to an open house offered by Graduate Philadelphia and found an open door leading to answers to my future. I liked the fact that they did not favor one school over another, but focused on my needs and how they could help me reach my goals.

My journey began in 1987 when I first started college at Temple University. I was a mediocre student but always felt drawn to the field of communications. As an Advertising major, I enjoyed being creative. However, the other classes were not very interesting to me. I fell short in attaining the minimum requirements to maintain a required grade point average. I was informed that I couldn’t enroll in any more classes. I was devastated.

The staff at Graduate! Philadelphia as well as the instructors and advisors at Neumann University offered me continuous encouragement, critical positive reviews and rewarding information. After I received my Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts, I changed careers from secretarial/administrative duties to my first dream of coaching and tutoring women to become self-sufficient in mind, body, and soul.

My name is Michael Johnson. I’m a non-traditional, 43-year-old graduating student in the Accelerated Behavioral Health and Science Program at Philadelphia University. It was not an easy decision to come back to school. Balancing family life, a full-time job and other numerous responsibilities, school seemed like a gigantic undertaking. And as you know, it was.

I have been trying to get back to school to complete my degree since 2005. I didn’t know which school to attend, what area to study, or how I would pay for it. All I knew was that I wanted to go back and finish this time. I attended countless college fairs, and I was searching online to find out how to do this and who to talk to, but there is much less information on going to college directed towards adult students than there is for traditional-age students. No one would really help me.

When I told a former co-worker that I would really like to go back to school, she highly recommended the Graduate! Philadelphia program. She told me that they were located near the Gallery mall in center city Philadelphia and that they would help me with applying for financial aid and provide other valuable assistance – and their services were free! If Graduate! Philadelphia provided that one service alone, I would have been extremely grateful. All of the procedures involved with applying for financial aid were more intimidating to me than returning to La Salle University after my decades of absence.

I completed my Associates from the Community College of Philadelphia and this fall I’m attending Chestnut Hill College to get my bachelors degree in Human Services. Then I want to continue on to get my masters. Ultimately, I want to open my own nonprofit organization that focuses on helping those who are suffering from drug and alcohol addictions and other debilitating issues that prevent them from being all that they can be.

I started going to Temple University in 1989 but had to leave to help out at home when my father passed and my mother was ill. To help with money I took a job as a Philadelphia Corrections Officer.

I had been unemployed for several years due to a back injury I got from my last (highly paid) job. I took a job as a school janitor to pay the bills, but it was at such low pay, with no benefits, and was far from being my dream job that I realized I had to make a change. I don’t want to take another entry level job; I want to do more meaningful work. So I got the ball rolling to go back to school.

I got tired of working retail so I decided to go back to school and get my bachelors degree. I want to expand my skills and then be able to put them to good use.

My vision for my future is clear; I want to explore religious studies, which to some may be pointless. However, my faith is love, courage, and compassion for all people. Philadelphia is a religiously diverse city and I want to bring this thread together to heal our communities. Upon graduation from an accredited college, I plan to pursue a full-time position as a prison or hospital clergy women or in social services while pushing forth a global humanitarian movement.

My name is Charise Pastorik, and if it wasn’t for Graduate Philadelphia, I probably never would have had the courage to go back to school. It started in 2010 when I made a drastic career change. I went from restaurant/hospitality to early childhood education. I currently hold a B.A in Theater Arts

Thinking of how my education got started again, I want to give thanks to Graduate! Philadelphia.  In 2014, there was a boot camp class offered at Independence Blue Cross through Graduate! Philadelphia.

I am proud to say that I graduated this past June from Community College of Philadelphia with a degree in respiratory therapy.Completing this degree means so much to me, in many different ways.  I am again the provider for my family.  I am returning to a career in the health care field, where I know I am making a positive impact on the lives of my patients.It’s been said that there will never be point in your life where it’s the right time to do a great thing.  If you are waiting for that perfect time it will never happen, so what you will have to do is create the perfect time, the perfect opportunity, and the perfect situation.  If achieving a goal was easy everybody would do it, it’s up to you and what will you do with your time.

My name is Bernita Harrod and I am a Comebacker.  Thank you for the opportunity to tell you about myself and my journey toward finishing my college degree.

In 2010, I was searching for an opportunity to complete a bachelor degree program. Graduate! Philadelphia advertised such an opportunity with East Stroudsburg University. They offered a degree in Public Health / Health Services Administration. The program was accommodating to full-time working adults with classes two nights a week and all day on Saturdays. After meeting with representatives from the admissions office, I was accepted into the program.

My journey of pursuing my Bachelor’s degree began 30 years ago at Penn State University in 1988.