Congratulations to Rachel Delgado, one of our 2023 Graduate of the Year finalists! After graduating high school in 2015, Rachel wasn’t sure what her next step would be. She took a few different jobs over the years, finding her passion working in the medical field. Rachel enrolled with Penn Foster to earn her Medical Billing and Coding Career Diploma and has already seen her life change.

Congratulations to Sydney Zaremba-Woodward, one of our 2023 Graduate of the Year finalists! Sydney started her online high school journey after moving to Poland with her family. Here, she found a love of travel and performance art. Penn Foster’s flexible scheduling allowed her to pursue her passions, while providing the right elective classes to help her earn a place in medical school in Poland.

Congratulations to David Pennington, one of our 2023 Graduate of the Year finalists! David is a First Sergeant in the US Air Force. In his 23 years of service, he has traveled the world ensuring his commanders and team are mission ready. Enrolling in Penn Foster’s Small Engine Repair course helped him make the most of his time away from family at his last posting in South Korea. He now brings his new skills to his latest mission where he will train his team to service vital Air Force equipment, and his diploma will give him an edge over the competition when he re-enters the civilian workforce.

Congratulations to Lynn Blake, one of our 2023 Graduate of the Year finalists! Lynn always had a love of animals, so it was only natural for her to find her way into the veterinary technician field. Penn Foster allowed Lynn to follow her dream while working full-time and raising her infant daughter. She is now Fear-Free certified and manages a 45-person team at a 24/7 emergency veterinary practice.

Laurel Popolizio always had a passion for biology, finding fascination in the care of animals. Inspired to work in veterinary medicine, she began her career as a veterinary assistant at Banfield Pet Hospital, but knew she needed to further her education to make her dream of becoming a veterinary technician a reality. “I had to become licensed and have the experience needed to match the qualifications.” She looked at local community colleges, but she wouldn’t be able to maintain a full-time work schedule while attending these in-person classes. Penn Foster’s flexible, online veterinary technician program allowed her to study around her work hours and even learn on the job. Listen to Laurel’s story.

Lauren Campion has always loved animals, having spent her entire life around them. She was raised with pets, worked in pet stores, and was always fascinated by the medical aspect of animal care. This interest led her to earning a biology degree from Widener University, followed by working in veterinary clinics as an assistant. Wanting to go further in her career, she knew she would have to gain the necessary certification to work as a technician in the state of Pennsylvania. As a working mom, going to school full-time wasn’t an option, so Penn Foster’s flexible, online, and accredited Veterinary Technician program was the perfect solution for her. Listen to hear more about Lauren’s journey.

Vet tech graduate Julia Mensen loved animals since her teens. Though she wanted to work with and around them, she never thought she would want to enter into veterinary medicine. After years of working in pet stores and as a veterinary receptionist, she became more comfortable and wanted to expand her knowledge.

As she became more confident and inspired by her peers working in the clinic, she decided to enroll in Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician program. After successfully completing her studies, she now helps new veterinary students hone their skills, with a specialty in dentistry. Listen to hear her story.

Dwight LaVan worked in the Medical Billing and Coding field for years. Once he realized he hit a ceiling without a degree, he looked into accredited, self-paced programs and found Ashworth College. "I really felt like it was time for me to get my degree. I got tired of looking at job openings and hoping and praying." Though he struggled with imposter syndrome and essay writing in the beginning, he finally reached his goal of completing his Associate Degree in Healthcare Administration with the help of instructors and peers in the Student Community. Listen to his story here.

Dylan Benavidez knew he wanted to get a head start on his adult life. A high achiever, Dylan decided to enroll in Penn Foster to help earn his high school diploma more quickly, giving him more time to dedicate to his job and help his community, which has led to him running for public office this year. “Since a young age I wanted to work hard and get myself out in the working field. At my local high school, they didn’t have an accelerated program to graduate early. I wanted to grow up and enter the workforce, but it still was important to get that quality education and it was important to me to still have that high school diploma.” Listen to his story here.

After spending the pandemic planning her own wedding, she was inspired to turn it into a career and enrolled in the NYIAD Wedding Planner course. Finishing in just six months, she credits NYIAD with helping her land her dream job as a Wedding and Special Events Coordinator. Now spearheading all her resort’s events, Kathleen says NYIAD has truly changed her life.