Andrew Bland is an Arizona State University senior who graduated this spring, and was among the first class of agents to work with Education at Work on technical care services and software support.

Majoring in computer science, Andrew got to truly grow with his program.

“Being one of the oldest classes, we help a lot of the newer classes out, they come to us for questions, and we all help each other now,” Andrew says.

Andrew’s biggest takeaways from his time with EAW include the professional-based skills he acquired in addition to training in

“Soft skills are definitely needed for any role in my industry,” says Andrew.

“I’ve also gained a couple of expertise’s in things that I should know, like computer tools, that I may not have been familiar with before, and now I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

Andrew’s journey through college has come with plenty of twists and turns. After struggling with finances, Andrew saw an EAW flyer in his financial aide’s office and immediately submitted an application.

Andrew has left his mark on EAW – from being part of the first class of agents on technical care, to constantly lending a helping hand to others on his team. For as much as Andrew left an impact on his EAW team, EAW left an impact on him.

“If it wasn’t for EAW, I wouldn’t have finished college,” Andrew says.

Andrew’s dream job is to work with one of the big four technology-based companies, and after interviews for jobs already, he is excited to continue navigating the professional world.

To read more about Andrew’s college journey and his success story visit, http://educationatwork.org/andrew-bland-student-success-story/.  

“If you were in my boat and having such a hard time finding an internship, this is great.”

Spencer Howard, a recent graduate of University of Cincinnati, earned his degree in finance this past May and will be taking a full-time position with one of Education at Work’s partners.

Spencer, after working with EAW in partnership with a leading financial company for three semesters, was offered a full-time position with the firm upon graduation.

“It was a relief,” Spencer says.

The job offer comes as a relief and end to Spencer’s college journey. Spencer graduated high school in 2012 and joined the army national guard at age 18.

“After basic training, I was kind of done with school and didn’t want to go back,” Spencer says.

A year after his deployment, he weighed his options regarding post-secondary education.

Spencer decided he needed experience in the world of money management and finances. Now, he has graduated with a degree in finance and is gaining real-world experience with a financial investment firm. He’s even found himself with a new opportunity to get started on his career path.

“It had a lot to do with my supervisor,” Spencer says. “Always asking, ‘Hey, do you have a spot for Spencer yet?’ They know my work ethic; they knew I had that baseline and was dependable.”

Spencer originally heard of EAW from a UC email. He says the correlation between his career goal and the job position is what pushed him to apply. After working with EAW for a year, Spencer has accumulated three semesters’ worth of tuition assistance along with his on-the-job experience.

While Spencer started college looking for an internship, he finished college with a full-time job offer and real-world skills in the money-management world under his belt.

“If you were in my boat and having such a hard time finding an internship, this is great,” Spencer says.

At Education At Work, Hue gained technical skills that she didn’t have before and enhanced soft skills like problem solving.

Hue Tran, a recent grad from the University of Utah, first heard about Education at Work (EAW) at an on-campus EAW recruitment booth. As she walked by the booth, a recruiter asked her if she was interested in earning tuition assistance. She says that piqued her interest and it’s why she decided to apply. Since that day in 2017, Hue has been working for Education at Work for over two years, and this spring, Hue graduated with a major in English.

“Tuition assistance was a constant reminder that my workplace cared about my schooling,” says Hue.

Hue valued the tuition assistance program and was also appreciative of her coworkers and the work environment. She says she didn’t expect the different personalities found in the office to come together so well. “Everyone was so helpful, friendly, and very outgoing, and the workplace had such a lively culture,” says Hue.

Beside the appreciation she felt for the team she worked with at EAW, she says she gained a multitude of skills. “The projects and the opportunities to engage in critical thinking and thinking outside of the box were great.”

Throughout her time there, Hue’s newfound skills and strong relationships with her peers gave her a boost in confidence. “Through the training, I learned that I can find answers and problem solve as I need to.”

Transitioning to a work-from-home environment can be a big change for those who are used to an office space. One student leader made the most of the switch and shared how she was impacted by her team working remotely.

Jayden Scott is an EAW student leader who just finished another semester at the University of Utah, working on general studies with an interest in the medical field. She is one of seven leaders still in the EAW Utah office, while her team has gone from occupying the same space as her to working from home.  Jayden says the biggest change came from finding the most efficient ways to communicate with her team in a remote environment.

“It’s been a good experience,” Jayden says. “I feel like I’ve been able to connect to the agents on my team a lot better.

During the transition, Jayden was exemplary at getting her team organized and making sure everyone had the tools they needed to succeed while working from home.

“I miss them a lot,” Jayden says. “I miss having the conversations and chats that aren’t just official meetings. It’s easier to have a conversation about how their day is going in person rather than through a chat room. I miss that and I miss talking to everyone – even if not everyone is on my specific team.”

Jayden has been an EAW student since April 2019 and has since received over $5,000 in tuition assistance. During this time, she learned how to be adaptable, take initiative, and problem solve.

“When we were sending students home, Jayden was instrumental in ensuring students got their kit at the appropriate time,” says Jayden’s supervisor. “This was no easy task!  Jayden wasn’t asked to assist in this effort – she willingly and on her own accord – stepped up to the task and jumped in headfirst.”

While Jayden misses her team, she says she’s relieved they get to work in the comfort of their home and be with their families. Jayden s keeps up with her team on a daily basis through remote meetings, engaging their chat rooms, and overall checking upon them to make sure they have everything they need to be successful.

“Communication has changed significantly with me talking to my agents,” Jayden says. “Now it’s all over team meeting calls and emails, so I have to adapt to that. The job changed in the fact that I can no longer just walk up to a student if they need something, I’ve become a lot more attentive to our chats to make sure they’re okay.”

In an empty office, the workday can become sluggish. Jayden keeps organized with scheduling and constant communication.

“It’s just about making sure I have exactly what I need to get everything done,” Jayden says. “I have my day scheduled out and I make sure to take the time to engage with my team and coworkers as much as I can.”

Jayden has taken initiative during a time of change for her team and continues to use those leadership skills to keep up with everyone’s needs on a daily basis. Jayden’s adaptability has kept her team moving forward in a remote environment.

Two years ago, Benjamin Martinez learned about Education at Work (EAW) from his sister after she visited an EAW booth at an on-campus event. Soon after, they both applied for part-time positions at EAW and begun their EAW journey.

Benjamin graduated this spring from the University of Utah with a degree in French and received approximately $7,500 in tuition assistance from EAW.

He was initially nervous about not having time for both work and academics, but Benjamin was pleasantly surprised to discover how EAW worked around his class schedule.

Benjamin found that working with his older supervisors gave him great insight as well and helped him build the skills he needed to succeed post-graduation.

“I really enjoyed my supervisors,” says Benjamin. “Everyone was very relaxed and it wasn’t a tense environment. That’s what I really liked about EAW.”

The tuition assistance program at EAW greatly impacted Benjamin. “I'm very grateful for EAW because without TA I wouldn't have been able to finish school at the time I wanted to,” he says. “It allowed me to get the tuition assistance to finish school and it also helped me discover what I really enjoyed.” He originally majored in math but through his interaction with EAW, it helped him make the switch to French which is his true passion.

Benjamin plans to attend graduate school at the University of Utah to obtain his masters of Art in World Languages and Cultures with an emphasis in French and comparative literature.

“[EAW] made me graduate debt-free and got me into the work force.”

Jacob Hopkins is a first-generation college graduate from University of North Texas. Jacob earned his degree this month in Aviation Logistics after working with Education at Work since November, 2018.

Aiming towards a career path in the business world, Jacob took classes – and eventually a job with EAW – to help him get to where he needed to be. Jacob says he heard about EAW from his business classes and the real-world work experience described is what ultimately reeled him in.

“I was looking for good work experience and I could experience that working at a reputable company in a corporate environment like this,” Jacob says.

Jacob has learned several skills during his time with EAW, from learning Excel to networking skills which have helped him in his field, Jacob says there was a lot to gain from his position in Sales Solutions.

“We work closely with front line associates and managing directors learning how a business works and what happens in the background,” says Jacob.

In addition to a multitude of skills, Jacob has earned three semesters’ worth of tuition assistance, making up over $6,000 toward university expenses. Jacob is now graduating from the University of North Texas debt-free.

“[EAW] made me graduate debt-free and got me into the work force,” Jacob says. “A lot of people graduate with debt and don’t have job opportunities to assist with that.”

As his collegiate journey comes to an end, Jacob says the more prominent things he can take with him going forward at the networking skills he’s learned and how to communicate effectively with all kinds of people.

“It seems to good to be true,” Jacob says. “Put your name down and apply. Nothing bad can happen from that. You gain good work experience and you learn how to deal with people.”