For recent Peirce College graduate, Tymeka McCaskill, choosing to pursue her education was both a personal and professional choice. “I had spent a year working in the custodial field,” Tymeka explains. “I didn’t want to be stuck in a menial job with little hope for retirement or benefits. And, I knew that furthering my education would improve my quality of life.”
Wanting to find a college that had experience working with adult learners, Tymeka started googling Philadelphia area colleges and doing some research. It didn’t take her long to come across Peirce College. “I read about Peirce after a Google search and was excited to learn that not only were they a smaller institution with a history of catering to adult learners, but they offered more flexibility and lots of options for adults compared to other schools with similar missions.”
“I owe my career in HR to my education.”
Shortly after, Tymeka enrolled in Peirce to earn her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management. She describes her student experience as “phenomenal.” The flexibility offered at Peirce allowed her to continue working while earning her degree and enabled her to participate in extracurricular college events. Tymeka also formed close relationships with many faculty members who she describes as “unofficial mentors.” However, it was her coursework at Peirce that she feels built the foundation for her success working in her dream field of Human Resources.
“I could directly apply my coursework at Peirce to entry level HR assignments,” Tymeka explains. “I remember learning what an LMS (Learning Management System) was in class one week, and just a few days later being asked by my manager to update my company’s LMS. The real world case studies, scenarios, and projects that I practiced in my Peirce coursework allowed me to feel confident taking on assignments at work that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to complete independently. I owe my career in HR to my education.”
An Exciting New Career
Tymeka graduated from Peirce in December of 2016 and will walk with her fellow classmates in June of 2017. She now has a new career with the Urban Affairs Coalition at their low-income VITA Tax Preparation site as the Assistant Site Manager. She hopes to continue to grow through education by making it her goal to earn her SHRM certification within the next two years. “If I hadn’t decided to pursue my education, I would probably still be working in the custodial field. Enrolling at Peirce was life changing.”
Tymeka’s advice for fellow adult learners thinking about furthering their education? Don’t wait. “I always tell people that time is going to pass whether you are working towards your degree or not. Why not make the most of your time?”