As a single father eager to achieve his educational dreams of earning a bachelor’s degree, Ricky Neff knew he needed to find a college and a program that would fit his life.
As a current employee for AmeriHealth Caritas, Ricky quickly learned of Peirce College through the partnership with his employer, but would it have what he was looking for? After much research, Ricky found out Peirce was exactly the place for him, “As soon as I learned of the Competency-Based Education program at Peirce and spoke further with Christa Donato about it, I was hooked.”
Competency-Based Education
Peirce’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) program is an opportunity for students in the Information Technology field to earn their bachelor’s degree in the quickest and most efficient way possible. With the help of past professional experience, students have the opportunity to earn their degree faster than ever before.
“The fact that I am going to college for something I love makes the experience positive.”
Ricky had previously earned his associate degree in Information Technology, so he had the prior knowledge to get started right away. The transition back to school to earn his bachelor’s was smooth thanks to his passion for the subject. He said, “The fact that I am going to college for something I love makes the experience positive. It is easy to write papers on things I have personal and professional experience with.”
Peirce’s CBE program allows for Ricky to have the flexibility necessary to complete his degree in a relaxed yet effective way, so he can continue to have a passion for education without the stress. Ricky said, “With CBE, there are not constant deadlines stressing you out. CBE is done on my own schedule when I find the right time to work on the material rather than feeling forced to get it done for a certain time frame.”
Additionally, Ricky adds how he can, “fly through the courses because I have the experience and prior knowledge to earn credits faster.” CBE allows for students to earn as many credits as they can in one semester for one flat rate. This allows for a quicker path to graduation!
Ricky also gave a special shout-out to Peirce’s CBE Coach, Christa Donato, while explaining his experience with the program. He only had great things to share on how she has really helped make the process even better. “Christa is a rockstar!” exclaimed Ricky, “She answers all my questions and is always there for me. It’s nice to have such individualized support.”
Currently working as the Senior Technical Support Analyst, Ricky hopes to continue improving in his position, but also achieve advancement opportunities in the future with his new degree. He said, “I have done desktop support for 10 years and would love to broaden my skill set through advancement, but most high-level positions require a bachelor’s degree, so I am ready to achieve that step.”
After just one semester in, Ricky is already on the fast track to earning that next degree by achieving 13 credits in just one semester. Ricky hopes to earn even more for this upcoming summer session! Congratulations to Ricky on his success with the program so far and we wish him nothing but continued excellence as he further chases his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.