Carroll Community College graduate Amanda Schuler thinks big things can be found in small places. Though Carroll is considered a small community college, Schuler believes her Carroll education has propelled her higher than she ever imagined.

A 2002 Carroll graduate, Schuler is now assistant public affairs officer for the Office of Naval Intelligence outside Washington, D.C. Schuler said Carroll helped to transform her from an undecided student in need of leadership skills to a confident transfer student who finally discovered her passion for working in the business communications field.

Schuler graduated from Carroll with an Associate of Arts degree in Arts and Sciences. She then transferred to Towson University, but found that she preferred a smaller four-year college. She applied to Villa Julie College (VJC), where she studied business communications and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2005.

In her current position with the government, Schuler writes and edits stories for an internal newsletter, writes press releases, writes copy for brochures, and represents the agency at community days and other assignments in the field. The Office of Naval Intelligence is the Navy’s intelligence component;
each branch of the service has its own intelligence agency to supplement the activities of larger agencies, according to Schuler. The agency she works for handles ship tracking in the seas, she explained.

Why did Schuler choose to get her educational start at Carroll? “Since my career path was undecided, I could not justify spending the dollars at a four-year school when I could get the same classes and instruction at Carroll,” Schuler said. “I received a Commissioners’ Scholarship to attend Carroll. Then Carroll awarded me a transfer scholarship to Villa Julie.”

What did she like about Carroll? “The comfortable environment combined with the easy commute and parking, made the experience enjoyable. I can also credit Carroll with helping me to figure out my career path. I took a career class that helped me to find out more about myself and which direction I wanted to head in, while also researching colleges and programs,” she said. Schuler said she had a smooth transition when she transferred to Villa Julie, thanks to Carroll’s emphasis on transfer planning.

While at Carroll, Schuler participated fully in extracurricular activities and events. She joined the Student Government Organization right away, eventually becoming the president. “This taught me invaluable leadership, communication and public speaking skills. It was ideal practice and preparation for the ‘real world,’" she said.

“Although I did not earn my bachelor’s degree in four years—it took me five—I am extremely happy with my decision to attend Carroll and strongly feel that the extra year was well worth the personal growth and development I experienced at Carroll,” she said.

“I disagree when people assert that you cannot get the full college experience at Carroll or at any other community college. I believe strongly that you will get out what you put into your education at Carroll. Getting involved is the key to having the full college experience. I made more close friendships at Carroll than at VJC,” Schuler said.

“My academic performance and involvement at Carroll enabled me to win enough scholarships from various sources (VJC, Carroll, and state government) to graduate with less than $10,000 in debt. Had I not attended Carroll, I would be starting out burdened with much more debt than that,” she said.

“This is why I am such a huge supporter of Carroll and I enjoy sharing my experience with other students who are considering choosing Carroll,” she concluded.

Amanda Schuler

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