Q: Joe, When did you originally start at Carroll?

A: I originally started at Carroll during the fall semester of 2000. Though I continued to take classes through the years, since I didn't have a goal I didn’t have a clear path in knowing what courses to take. So I enrolled in many different classes, but they didn’t lead to earning a degree in a specific area.

Q: What is your major?

A: I am taking general science classes with the goal of entering the Physical Therapist Assistant program here at Carroll. After I have earned my associate degree, I will transfer to continue taking classes with the goal of earning my baccalaureate degree. I then want to earn my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. At age 34 I now have a specific goal!

Q: How did the One-Step-Away grant help you?

A: The One-Step-Away grant and the process of looking at how many credits I needed to attain my associate degree has made it seem less complicated than I thought the process would be. Plus, with the vouchers for books and the discount for each credit, I was able to save money for other course supplies. In all, the grant has made me realize that earning my degree was not something that was out of reach or that would take many years to achieve. The One-Step-Away grant has given me the sense of finally completing a chapter in my life that I thought I was not ever going to achieve.

Q: Do you have anything else to add?

A: Not only has Carroll been an excellent institution for nurturing my academic career, all of the staff that I have worked with have been amazing influences and great resources in helping me to excel, especially the staff and tutors in the Academic Center. They have given me excellent strategies on how to become a successful student, how to better understand science and mathematics, and how to manage my life while in school. Also, all of my professors, now and in the past, have given me excellent guidance, support, and were always there for me. Finally, working with Ms. Jessica Martin in Advising has been a very clarifying experience in how to plan my pathway to the associate degree and determining my next steps after I complete my program at Carroll.

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