STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

MARCH 2021

MEET ANA.

Clay County resident Ana Maria Aguirre is inching her way closer to the finish line of her 60-day QuickBooks online training. Aguirre is enrolled in SJR State’s Rapid Credentialing program, which is designed to help local residents who are unemployed or underemployed due to COVID-19. With the help of RC, students can quickly obtain new skills to re-enter the workforce.

This new path opened up for Aguirre after her husband spotted the Rapid Credentialing scholarship opportunities advertised in a local newspaper. “I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to experience something new during these transitional times we all are living in,” Aguirre said. “That being said, I started the process for getting my paperwork together, and I went to the SJR State Orange Park campus. I had a fantastic experience there from the very beginning with the front desk staff who provided me all the information I needed, right through to the advisor who was available to discuss my opportunities,” Aguirre continued. Expressing appreciation for the sound guidance she received, Aguirre said, “The College embraced me from the very beginning and helped me feel really comfortable.”

As a mom to 10-year-old triplets, the biggest benefit of the QuickBooks training is being able to study from home, yet, she said her biggest challenge is “time management.” While it definitely helps that the course is “very friendly, interactive and flexible,” according to Aguirre, setting a suitable schedule and putting in the time and effort are essential to successfully completing the course. “I am so motivated to keep working on this certification and to be successful in the training,” she said, noting how well the training complements her current skills, which makes her both hopeful and excited about the new career paths and possibilities that lie ahead.

Participants in the Rapid Credentialing program have access to career and technical education training, tailored student support and placement assistance. In addition, the program may provide financial support for program tuition, fees, books and/or certification exam costs—reducing or eliminating the cost of training for eligible students in select programs.

There are also scholarships to support program costs for students enrolling in select business, computer and manufacturing programs such as accounting technology operations, digital marketing management, risk management and insurance operations, QuickBooks online certified user, insurance claims adjuster, insurance customer service rep, Amazon Web Services solutions architect, and Amazon Web Services cloud practitioner. Students must meet program and grant requirements to be eligible to participate.

The Rapid Credentialing program criteria and applications are available online at http://SJRstate.edu/rapid_credentialing.html. For more information, call (386) 312-4232 or email .

 

 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Kessler
Director of Public Relations and Publications
(386) 312-4021