From high school to college, from college to the workforce, from new careers to life after retirement, life is full of transitions. As you think about the changes that have happened in your own life, get inspired by the following stories of students who embraced change and used AACC to bridge one life stage to the next.
Transition isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes, it’s a courageous pivot mid-career. For Victoria Snelgrove, that meant trading the clinical environment of a neonatal dietitian for the creative world of interior design. Seeking a career that offered more flexibility and time with her family, Snelgrove enrolled in a noncredit introductory class at AACC. She immediately knew she had found her fit.
The transition from healthcare to interior design was made possible by the practical nature of the coursework. AACC's program is “so focused on actionable technical skills and being able to jump into the workforce,” Snelgrove said. “That was what made this program make sense for me and work for me at the time in my life that I found it.”
Her own major life transition gave her the perspective to relate to one of her first clients. She redesigned entertaining and hosting spaces for a client preparing for a new stage of life as an empty nester.
"I'm really excited about others who are willing to kind of boldly step into a new transition as well,” she said. Her story serves as a reminder that a fresh start is always within reach.
Victor Aigbedion is no stranger to living in two worlds at once. An immigrant from Nigeria, he has navigated new schools, communities and cultural expectations since arriving in the United States as a fourth-grade student. Along the way, he learned to see new environments as opportunities to “rebuild, rediscover and redefine” himself.
Aigbedion took advantage of the Early College Access Program (ECAP) to take free college classes at AACC while attending Glen Burnie High School. He went on to become the first dually enrolled student to be named a DREAM Scholar by Achieving the Dream.
“AACC has been more than just a college to me, it’s been a catalyst,” Aigbedion said. “Through workshops, mentorship and campus life, I’ve grown into not only a better student but a better leader.”
Earlier this year, Aigbedion graduated with both his high school diploma and a certificate in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from AACC. He plans to attend George Washington University to study political science.
For students like Aigbedion who take the first step early, ECAP can be the head start that sets them up for success.
Even at the end of his business career, Mel Bender knew he wasn’t finished learning. At age 80, he earned a master’s degree from St. John’s College.
Bender soon also became a cornerstone of AACC’s Peer Learning Partnership, a vibrant community of lifelong learners who come together for classes, discussion groups, cultural events and social connection. He has facilitated more than 20 courses, served as a board member and led the Educational Outreach Committee.
Bender has often said that discovering peer learning at AACC changed his life in retirement. His story is a perfect example of how learning is not a phase of life but a way of living it fully.
Every May, family and friends fill The HALL at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland with joy as they celebrate AACC graduates at commencement. Recently retired AACC President Dawn Lindsay marked every graduation with a “final assignment.”
During the ceremony, she asked graduates to stand if they had taken college classes while in high school, worked during college, were older than 25, 35, 45, even 55, served in the military, planned to transfer or were starting a job. By the end, every graduate had stood at some point.
The word commencement means “beginning.” Although the ceremony recognizes the completion of rigorous coursework, it also celebrates the start of a new phase for graduates.
This year, more than 1,700 students embarked on new paths, but new chapters don’t belong only to new graduates. Just as individuals step into their new chapters, organizations evolve too. AACC began its own transition after Lindsay’s departure in June.
People come to AACC for different reasons, but they leave feeling prepared for whatever comes next. AACC students show how much can be gained when life shifts and how much joy can be found in starting something new.