Student Services:

Featured Learner - Shandai Moore-Jenkins

Pursuing a degree to help others

For Shandai Moore-Jenkins, her business life is linked closely to her personal beliefs and goals. As co-founder of a local nonprofit organization, Chosen 300 Ministries, she and her husband provide humanitarian outreach programs to the homeless and poor in the Philadelphia area.

Shandai's goal to learn everything she can about running a business brought her to Peirce College. Recommended by a former student, she enrolled at the College in January 2008. Once she has attained her degree in Business Administration, "I will have enhanced knowledge to organize, facilitate, market and administer my organization, in order to better meet the needs of the poor," she said. "That is why it is so important to me to succeed in my studies at Peirce College."

After just nine months as a student, Shandai holds a 4.0 grade average. "I admire all that she has achieved already," Rita Toliver-Roberts, Peirce Dean of Students said, "balancing the demands of a family, maintaining academic standards, and doing so much for others is commendable."

Peirce's flexible schedule makes a big difference to Shandai. "The online classes and tutoring sessions are very important to me," she added. "Plus, without the scholarship options at Peirce it would be a real challenge to attend classes. I love the opportunity to be able to succeed in my studies and Peirce is helping me to achieve my goals."

Through her nonprofit organization, she has established an alliance with a wide range of houses of worship and organizations to provide 60,000 full course meals to the homeless in center city Philadelphia each year. The organization also works with pre-release classes for two local county prisons, and sponsors basketball enrichment programs for youths from low-income families. The organization has even extended its humanitarian efforts overseas.

When she can, in addition to spending time with her family, Shandai enjoys hobbies that include massage therapy and teaching modern jazz.

Shandai's tip for other Peirce students? "Take pride in your goals," she said, "so that you can take pride in what you have accomplished and what you will accomplish."