Adrienne Hicks recently celebrated a dream that was five years in the making.

“Crossing that stage and accepting my diploma at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in May truly was a dream come true,” Hicks, 37, said. 

As a single mother of four, ages 8 to 17, working and going to school while raising her family was tough, Hicks said, but worth the sacrifice.

“It was scary coming back to school, being surrounded by much younger students, but I decided I wanted to do something I was passionate about and that meant getting my degree,” Hicks said. “I’ve always wanted to help people who are inneed and nursing is a great way to do that.”

A nursing major who plans to transfer to ASU this fall, Hicks had four very good reasons for persisting.

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After being downsized or displaced four times in as many years, former TRW quality engineer Glen Haidet decided this past spring that it  was time to re-career, and that meant going back to school.

Haidet, 56, enrolled in Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s Pharmacy Technician program in June and finished the program in just nine weeks. Having recently passed the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam, Haidet says he is looking forward to beginning his new career.

“I decided that I wanted to go into a field where I could help people, and this seemed like a perfect fit,” Haidet said.  “The program was wonderful.  I can’t say enough about the instructor or all of the people in CGCC’s Workforce Development Office.  Times are tough, but they were a light of hope in helping me navigate a path to re-careering.”

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