Great schools and training programs offer learning opportunities that go far beyond the syllabus. We asked some amazing folks from the community to share stories from their educational journey with us.

Jennifer Kearns

My schooling began in the university as a music major, but evolved over time. I had various very special mentors who led me on a spiritual path to learn about cultivating my relationship with my higher powers. I feel so connected to my guardians, spirits, loved ones on the other side, and my higher power who I call the creator of all that is. Read more>>

Amanda January

There have been many important parts of my school and training journey, but one that sticks out to me the most is when I was studying for my undergraduate degree. During this time, I was interested in both education and psychology, and was not sure of where those interests would take me. Looking back, one course in particular changed the trajectory of my professional and person life. That course was Positive Psychology. This fascinating course is the study of human flourishing, and become the groundwork for my own personal development, and eventually, the basis of my own coaching business. Read more>>

Erica Bartlett

Everybody goes into medicine for their own reasons. For me, I believed my dream was to prevent disease. I wanted to become a primary care doctor. Unbeknownst to me, my journey would lead me into the polar opposite field of Plastic Surgery. Mastery required both technical skill and creativity which was intriguing, because this required not only use of the logical left side of the brain but the artistic right side, as well. Read more>>

Kelly McGee

I recently had the occasion to visit with the founder of the school I attended for my Naturopathy training. She and I spoke briefly about my current studies under another instructor at the school, involving a very complex and technical application of Naturopathy called RBTI. I shared some of my observations, and disclosed some of the things that I really enjoy about this application of our work. I later heard that our conversation inspired the school’s founder to revisit the text and consider a fresh perspective of RBTI. Read more>>

Alana Dzurek

The Electrolysis industry is ancient, established in 1875, and schools haven’t quite caught up to the 21st century, as a matter of fact some schools still use books from the 60s. My immediate first training in the field of Electrology (permanent hair removal) was basically an introduction, it’s where I got a flavor of what my industry was like back in 1994. Read more>>

Raven Love

My school life was filled with lots of ups and down, stressful moments to happy moments. Furthering my education made me understand patience, faith, and the importance of nonpartisan. Going to college was definitely a period where I found myself and learned a great deal about myself just by learning aspects and leadership aspects. Most importantly it taught me commitment when you truly want something you give it a 100% until it’s complete and that’s what I did to complete MHA degree. Read more>>

Joseph Valadez

I was once in my internship class at campus. We would meet once a week. There were 16 of my cohorts that were assigned to the class that worked at 16 different intern placements. The idea was for me and my classmates to get an overall view of different asspects of social work. One day the professor, (this happened to be either the 3rd or 4th week of my first semester in the MSW program) asks the class “who here has felt imposter syndrome so far? Either at school or at your placement?” All the class raised their hands execpt me. Read more>>

Julius Hoggard

After graduating from Plymouth High School, located in Plymouth, NC, I enrolled at Elizabeth City State University, where I pursued a major in Sociology. This choice of major laid the foundation for my career in Human Services, with a particular focus on Mental Health. It also provided me with the opportunity to obtain a license as a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP), enabling me to serve individuals of all ages in the mental health field. Furthermore, through my unwavering dedication and hard work, I earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from graduate school. Read more>>