College was never really part of Cassie Fitzgerald’s plans – she didn’t see the benefit of continuing her education beyond high school. She eventually decided she wanted to do something more with her life, but the idea of returning to school was daunting, not to mention expensive.
At ACC she found she could pursue a better future at a price she could afford: With financial assistance, her associate degree cost less than $1,300. And, ACC’s multiple campuses and flexible schedules made it easier for students like her in different stages of life.
“No one judged me for being a little older than most ‘traditional’ students,” she recalls. “I had classes with kids still in high school, working mothers, and retired Marines.”
I have gone from graduating high school by the skin of my teeth to having the kind of GPA that makes me competitive for some of the top master’s programs in the country! If you want to be surrounded by people who follow their dreams and create a better future for themselves, go to ACC.
ACC helped Cassie secure an internship in a county commissioner’s office, which fueled an interest in public policy and positioned her for her next accomplishment: a full scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with highest honors in the top 3 percent of her class. She parlayed that success into another internship and eventually a full-time job covering transportation policy for a state representative.
“I get to help fight for policy that supports transit, bikes, and pedestrians,” she says, “which, if you ask me, is the best job ever.”
Next, Cassie plans to earn a master’s degree in public policy and work in local government. “I have gone from graduating high school by the skin of my teeth to having the kind of GPA that makes me competitive for some of the top master’s programs in the country! If you want to be surrounded by people who follow their dreams and create a better future for themselves, go to ACC.”