From Community College of Philadelphia to Peirce College – Meet Efrain Aponte, Jr.
From Community College of Philadelphia to Peirce College – Meet Efrain Aponte, Jr.
Efrain Aponte, Jr. began college as an 18-year-old traditional student. He aspired to pursue a career in Information Technology, so he took his young and eager mind to the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) to begin working toward a degree. At age 24, after many years of part-time classes, Efrain graduated with his associate’s degree in Computer Information Systems.
But Efrain struggled with where to go next after graduation. “I found myself contemplating on whether I should either seek employment in my desired program of study, or perhaps enhance/elevate my education,” Efrain recalls. His family and friends advised him to look around and see what colleges were available to him that would be willing to accept his credits from CCP.
That’s when he discovered Peirce College. “I learned that [CCP] had recently partnered with Peirce College in terms of credit transferal, all while finding out that Peirce has a brilliant IT program,” he says. “I spoke with an advisor one week before I registered, and I was delighted to discover that over 95% of my classes/credits from CCP would be transferred.”
That wasn’t all Efrain discovered in his research of Peirce College. “In addition [to the credits transferring], I would also qualify for a scholarship—due to my associate degree—that would eventually aid me per my education.” Knowing this, Efrain felt motivated to continue his education at the age of 25 at Peirce College in the fall of 2014.
Efrain quickly transitioned into Peirce, finding support and flexibility everywhere he looked. “The administration at Peirce College [e.g. faculty, staff, professors, advisors/specialists, students] have guided, assisted, and even molded me towards success in my 2+ year tenure.
“Peirce (re)introduced me to online classes/learning, and with their recently implemented ‘Peirce Fit’ format, it enabled me to decide if I wanted to enjoy the pleasures of on-campus learning, or learning while embracing the comforts of my own home.”
After starting his educational journey as a traditional-aged student, Efrain could see how different going to college was as a working adult learner. “By the age of 25 and with a job [two in 2016, thanks to the work-study program at Peirce], I did notice that things were clearly different; it was a little more challenging to handle both work and school,” he says.
But Efrain didn’t let the challenge of work/school balance get in his way. Just a few weeks ago, he graduated from Peirce College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Networking, Administration and Information Security, while also receiving the Margaret Obozian Excellence in Writing Award at Commencement.
Efrain found his path by continuing his education and earning his bachelor’s degree, but not without taking many days and nights to deliberate over all his options. He advises anyone who is considering going back to school to “see if they have online learning [options], rather than [just] traditional on-campus education, which could optimize your chances of managing work/children/responsibilities alongside school. This way, you can perform your respective duties throughout the day, and then prepare to partake in your collegiate duties during, say, the evening and/or on weekends.”
Congratulations to Efrain Aponte, Jr. on graduation and his award! We look forward to watching him continue to soar into the Information Technology field.
If you wish to begin your educational journey or continue on, like Efrain did, contact an Enrollment Specialist today at 215.670.9000 or admissions@peirce.edu. Or if you’re interested in learning more about the partnership between CCP and Peirce College, contact Tom Tschop at 215.670.9203 or ttschop@peirce.edu.
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