With a desire to stay within the healthcare field, but eager to transition from the clinical side to the administrative side, Lisa Washington knew she was ready to go back to college.
After over 20 years as a nurse, Lisa was ready for a switch in her career. She knew she had the knowledge and experience, but she didn’t have the official degree to move into her new job interest.
"I was tired of working below my potential. I knew I could do more. I knew I knew more,” said Lisa. “I knew it was my time to earn my degree and prove my potential.”"
Earning Her Degree in the Most Affordable Way
When Lisa decided to make the jump into going back to school, she was eager to find a way to earn her degree in the fastest and most affordable way. Luckily, when speaking with Peirce College’s Enrollment Specialist, Karen Hun, Lisa learned of a way to earn credits for what she already knew."
Through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), Lisa was able to take seven different tests to earn 21 credits for knowledge she had gained during her time in the healthcare industry. These are 21 credits she quickly earned and put toward her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration at Peirce College.
In addition to these test-out options, Lisa was also able to transfer in 42 more credits from her previous college experience. Before starting Peirce College, Lisa transferred in 63 credits saving her an immense amount of time and money from prior work and college experience.
“I would not have graduated this year if it weren’t for the CLEP tests and the ability to transfer in credits,” explained Lisa. “I would have another year or two to not only pay for, but stick out before earning my degree.”
“I would not have graduated this year if it weren’t for the CLEP tests and the ability to transfer in credits.”
Finding Her (Peirce)Fit®
After transferring in so many credits, Lisa was able to dive into the classes she was eager to take immediately and find her niche with the flexibility of Peirce. She said, “I loved the option to be on campus or online. I originally started at Peirce by taking two classes online, but as the classes got harder I would find myself coming to campus to learn the material in a different way.”
Through this experience as an adult learner, Lisa realized this time around she was more prepared to be a strong and engaged student. “When I was at my original university as a traditional aged student, I didn’t study, I didn’t know what to do. I was too busy hanging out with friends,” said Lisa. “Coming back to school with small classes, professors who give you their cell phone numbers, staff that reaches out to you and embraces you, helped me along the way and it worked for me.”
And it certainly did work for her. As of June 11, 2019, Lisa Washington graduated from Peirce College with her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration with honors.
From this journey, Lisa realized, just like her mother, she is a lifelong learner and has plans to continue on with her educational journey by either taking on a certificate program for cybersecurity or enrolling in a master’s program. Right now, Lisa holds the position as a Nurse Care Manager and hopes to progress into Clinical Support Systems combining her interest in healthcare administration with the technology world.
As a final takeaway from her degree, Lisa wanted to share some advice to all adult learners as they take the leap of faith to earn their degree, “There will never be a perfect time to return to school, so don't wait for it to occur. Don't let life get in the way of achieving your best life.”
Peirce College wishes Lisa nothing but the best on all her future endeavors!