American Career College awards top honors to five students for “One Change” contest

Submitted by Dan Holestine

In accordance with American Career College’s belief that a quality education leads to a better life and that “One Change Changes Everything,” the Costa Mesa-based school has announced Kenneth Ferguson of Culver City, Noelle Mendez of Southgate, Cedric Balderrama of Irvine, Neal Mundy of Montclair, and Jane Nam of Riverside, all students at American Career College, as winners of its campus-wide “One Change” contest. The contest, open to all students and graduates of American Career College’s Los Angeles, Anaheim and Ontario campuses, asked for essay submissions on how American Career College changed their lives.

The college’s mission is to provide students with a learning environment that promotes excellence coupled with a supportive community to help them achieve that change. In accordance with the school’s motto, “One Change Changes Everything,” the contest was designed to give students and graduates the opportunity to share their real-life experiences.

Top honors and a $100 gift card were awarded to the following four submissions.

Kenneth Ferguson, who is studying to become a Pharmacy Technician at American Career College’s Los Angeles campus, wrote an essay titled “Taking Care of Yourself,” which details an epiphany he had that pushed him to make a life change after years of working in the automobile industry on 100% commission not only left him working 14-hour days, stressed out and never fully rested, but also led him to congestive heart failure. Kenneth never thought he would go back to school so late in life, at the age of 42. His advice to those who many think they are too old to go back to school is, “you have the maturity to go further quicker, so don’t give up!”

Honor Roll student Noelle Mendez is studying to become a Pharmacy Technician at American Career College’s Los Angeles campus and writes that the school has changed her life “not just academically, but spiritually.” She started classes in February 2009, after almost a year of looking for work during a time when unemployment rates were rising rapidly. Realizing that the healthcare field was one that would still be employing qualified people, she took a chance and enrolled at American Career College, despite being left virtually homeless due to a terrible financial situation. She stayed strong and, with the help of the faculty and staff at her campus and the support of her boyfriend, she is on her way to finishing her program at American Career College.

Cedric Balderrama refers to his enrolling as a Massage Therapy student at American Career College’s Orange County campus in Anaheim as “One Good Decision” because, as he says it best, it “has created a positive domino effect in my life.” Cedric admits that he was never motivated during his high school years and two years after his fellow classmates had graduated, he found himself living with his parents with neither diploma nor job. Just when he felt as if he had no options, he learned about American Career College and its Massage Therapy program. He made the decision to enroll and it changed his life forever. The school faculty and staff helped him obtain his GED and motivated him to become an Honor Roll student by strengthening note-taking and testing skills, and developing better study habits. According to him, “American Career College really helped me realize the importance of an education… I have learned a lot more than massage therapy. American Career College has taught me about life, responsibility, integrity, punctuality, professionalism and so much more… One change really can change everything.”

Neal Mundy, who is studying to become a Surgical Technician at American Career College’s Ontario campus, wrote a touching essay, “Daddy Never Gave Up,” which outlines his life to date from when he entered the public safety field before the age of 20. After more than 12 years in the industry, the recent economic downturn affected his job security and financial future for his family. Now, at the age of 32, he attributes the decision to pursue a career in the medical field to a friend who suggested it to him. Although it had crossed his mind in the past, he had never seriously considered it until he did a little research and became aware that it would not only be financially rewarding, but that he would still be working in a service industry. American Career College’s website attracted him to the field of Surgical Technology and, after watching videos online, he says he was “hooked.” His life has never been the same and he says, “When I look back, I wish I had done it sooner but it’s never too late to learn. I’m 32 years old, married with a 4-year-old daughter and another on the way. I want my children to grow up and someday see that daddy never gave up.”

Additionally, the “People’s Choice” winner, selected based on the highest number of “thumbs up” votes received from fans on Facebook, was Jane Nam, a Pharmacy Technician student at American Career College’s Ontario campus, awarded a $100 gift card for her wonderful account of leaving the safety and security of her family’s traditional home only 10 months ago to find her own way in the world, despite having virtually nothing at the beginning of her journey. Her interests led her to pursue training for a career as a Pharmacy Technician at American Career College, where she has been for the past five months. During this time, her life changed because she is now reunited with her family and they now see her goal in life and understand her inner passion. She says, “Every day that I attend class, I am grateful for the information I am taught and all the new experiences I come across. Attending ACC was the best decision I ever made and I am very motivated to further my career in the pharmacy field.”

All contest submissions, including the winning essays, are published on the American Career College Facebook page at https://www.AmericanCareer.com/facebook. The contest was open to students attending American Career College or those participating in an externship through the school, as well as graduates from any of the its three campuses. Entries were judged on originality, creativity, relevance to contest topic and adherence to contest guidelines. All essays were limited to 500 words and could be submitted between Wednesday, June 3, 2009 and Wednesday, June 17, 2009. Fans were allowed to vote for their favorite submission through Monday, June 22, 2009. No purchase was necessary to enter this contest. This contest was managed by ESM, the entity responsible for all judging, contest updates and announcements. For more information, visit www.americancareer.com.