For as long back as she can remember, Shirley Dash has always loved computers. In 2004, she graduated from the Community College of Philadelphia's Computer Information Systems Program and entered the workforce as a Systems Associate for the Family Planning Council. In her role there, Shirley quickly began to work hands-on with the customers and knew she needed to obtain a bachelor's degree to keep up with the competitive IT landscape.
Taking Control
After attending a Peirce open house, Shirley was confident that Peirce was the school for her, and she began to work toward her bachelor’s degree. “It was intimate, affordable, the schedule was perfect for me and the courses were extremely interesting,” recalled Shirley. “Although there was class, we still had time to do labs and that was important to me, because I learn a lot faster when it’s hands-on.”
Shirley excelled in Peirce’s supportive classroom environment; it allowed her to get to know the staff, professors and students on a personal level. “I was excited when the IT degree program would bring in alumni to share their before and after stories of graduating from Peirce and how it helped prepare them for their careers.,” remembered Shirley.
“I am in control of my own schedule.”
She credits her professional success in large part to how the College’s IT program is up to date on the latest technology and trends, as well as the software and hardware used in the classroom. The labs at the College served as a way for Shirley to collaborate with and learn from other students, giving her a competitive edge in today’s job market.
Today, Shirley works at one of the largest hospitals in Philadelphia, Penn Medicine, as a database analyst. She loves the healthcare IT field and credits the mentors she met at Peirce for helping her choose it. Shirley is now a graduate student at Drexel in the university’s Masters Information Systems degree program.
Although achieving a master's degree seems daunting, Shirley is confident that she will succeed because of her experience at Peirce. "Because I had a GPA of 3.5 and higher from Peirce College, I didn't have to take any of the pre-graduate exams such as the GRE or GMAT. Peirce also opened the door to online education for me. I am a full-time employee, and sometimes going to classes after work is tiring, but I know that I've done it before at Peirce. The bottom line is: I am in control of my own schedule."