Maria G-V.
When Maria enrolled at Cabrillo, she wasn’t sure about her direction – finding herself confused about general education and all the different business classes. When a teacher pointed out the BIW program, it was a fit. As the first person in her family to go to college, it made sense to Maria to gain hands-on skills before jumping into transferring to a university.
She got a lot of hands-on experience, learning skills such as Excel, Access, and how to use shortcuts and easily format documents.
Maria says,
“After finishing the program and getting a good glimpse at business courses and skills, I now know I want to get a business degree.”
She is almost done with her business degree at Cabrillo and uses her skills working as a Program Lead Monitor at the Salvation Army.
She is looking into getting a bachelor’s degree and would like to work in business operations and administration in the future.
Gus S.
After serving 22 years in the military, what’s left to do? For Gus S, retiring from the U.S. Air Force signaled both the end of a career and the beginning of a new one. He wanted to work in human services to help other veterans like himself, but after a few classes at Cabrillo College, Gus realized there were some crucial skills he still needed to learn.
"I came home from serving in the U.S. Air Force to find a different world of technology,” Gus says. “I realized after my second class that I need to get my computer skills up and running, because there are a lot of reports to write and a lot of presentations."
He’s grateful for all the resources Cabrillo provides. He admires the CABT instructors for their patience and helpfulness, and for their availability outside the classroom in office hours and the computer lab.
The more he learns, the more he realizes how important computer and technology skills are in the workforce and in everyday life. While many people today tend to take these skills for granted, Gus emphasizes how useful these classes are. “It’s worth it,” he says.
Betty H.
Betty H earned her art degree in 1980 and immediately jumped into a career in advertising as a graphic designer. But after 20 years, Betty decided she needed a break.
She began taking CABT classes at Cabrillo. She also found a part time job at the CTC, all while keeping an eye out for full-time work. Though getting a job was more important to her than earning a certificate, Betty took as many classes as she could and enjoyed all of them.
Along the way, she appreciated the many learning opportunities at Cabrillo and the guidance she received from her instructors.
“I enjoyed all my teachers — I didn’t have one bad teacher.”
Betty now works as an office assistant at the Superior Court of California, Santa Cruz County. The job involves everything she learned at Cabrillo, an excellent pay off.