Fostering Conversations

When Jana and her son Cason moved, she enrolled him in Penn Foster. A junior, Cason worked through our online High School Diploma program studying at his own pace. "With Penn Foster he can do it any time," said Jana. "That's the best thing about Penn Foster. It's 24 hours, 7 days a week." Cason was able to bring up his grades and easily contacted instructors if he needed help. "What I really enjoyed about [Penn Foster] was the confidence it gave him to finish," Jana said. "...His grades improved significantly. He brought his GPA up from around a 2.7 to around a 3.5 with Penn Foster...When you see the smile on my son's face for the way he improved his grades that alone was absolutely priceless." Listen why Jana recommends Penn Foster to other parents.

Kimberly Quinonez needed a high school diploma to advance her career. That's when she enrolled in Penn Foster. Determined to graduate, Kimberly worked through our online, self-paced High School Diploma program. "I basically kept studying and I never gave up on myself," she said. Kimberly was able to transfer credits, which allowed her to finish the program in two months. "I always dreamed of graduating and walking across the stage and throwing my cap up into the air," she said. "And I got the chance to do that at Penn Foster. That changed my life." Once she graduated, Kimberly began working for the Hampton County Sheriff's Department full time, a position she was only able to volunteer for until she received a high school diploma. Kimberly recently received a promotion and is graduating with her associate's degree in social work, and plans to earn her bachelor's degree next. "I am truly grateful for Penn Foster and the education that this school provides," she said. "I have excelled in my career and education since being a student here." Listen to her story.

Deneil Christian was working as a police officer when he decided to enroll in Ashworth College. "I wanted to find a more flexible and less stressful approach to earning my degree while working full time," said Deneil. Since enrolling, Deneil has completed our Forensic Science Career Diploma program, an associate degree program, and lastly, our Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree program. He also went on to earn master's degrees in business and criminal justice, and will be completing his Ph.D. in criminal justice this month. Deneil credits his Ashworth education with helping him succeed. "Having a solid foundation is key to anything that you're going to build on," he said. "Ashworth did lay that foundation." Currently, Deneil is using what he learned at Ashworth to teach others. He teaches business and criminal justice at Nazareth Academy High School and is an adjunct criminal justice professor at Chestnut Hill College. He also recently accepted a tenure track position as an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of the Virgin Islands. Listen to his story.

When the pandemic hit, Lindsay Howard decided to make the most of the circumstances and extra time at home by enrolling in Ashworth College. "I wanted to take my education seriously and make myself more marketable to the job market..." she said. Since then, Lindsay has completed our Computer Information Management Undergraduate Certificate and Computer Information Systems Associate Degree programs. Soon after completing her degree Lindsay was offered a higher paying job and now works as a digital marketing manager. "I'm happy to say that I feel like I definitely got my [return on investment] with Ashworth," she said. Listen to her story.

Severina Jimenez was working at a daycare but had a desire to return to the healthcare field. She found out about Penn Foster from a friend and liked that our programs can be completed at her own pace, and that we offered monthly payment options. That's when she enrolled in our online Dental Assistant Career Diploma program. A mom and full time employee, Severina studied after she put her kids to bed, on her lunch breaks, and every other weekend. Then, eight months into her program Severina found a job at a dentist's office. Working the front desk, she moved up once she graduated from her program. "Once I graduated I transitioned to the back where I'm now a fulltime dental assistant," she said. "I love what I do, I learn something new every single day. I couldn't be more happy with the choice I made." Now, Severina plans to become certified and will continue her education to become a dental hygienist. "It's not a job for me, it's a career," she said. Listen to her story.

Romaz Charles earned his high school diploma with the support of our partner, The Adecco Group US Foundation. Working at Jabil, Romaz knew a high school diploma would help advance his career. "The [high school diploma] has opened the door for me," he said. "I felt like I accomplished something great and it gave me a lot of opportunity. It gives you more choices." Romaz has also earned his Administrative Assistant Career Diploma with Penn Foster and the Aspire Academy, and is currently enrolled in the online Microsoft® Office 2019 Certificate program. Romaz hopes to become a technician at Jabil. "[Penn Foster] gave me a lot of opportunity," he added. Listen to his story.

Demetria Pruitt wanted a better life for her family but needed a school that would work with her busy schedule. That's when she found Penn Foster's online High School Diploma Program. Our self-paced program helped Demetria have the flexibility she needed to be a mom, help her school aged children with homework, attend to household needs, and more all while working toward her diploma. "The flexibility. That was amazing," said Demetria. "I would not have been able to obtain a high school diploma at all if I had not had the flexibility to be able to do it on my schedule, on my time, just being at home." After earning her diploma, Demetria found a job and began studying to earn her bachelor's degree in psychology. "Everything just seemed to fall in line after I got my diploma," she said. Listen to her story.

Kimmie Joseph first enrolled with Penn Foster in 2009. Since then, she's completed six programs, most recently completing our IT Support Specialist Career Diploma program in 2020. "There are many advantages of studying a program online," she said. "The fact that I can take my time, make my own schedule, and [have] a career is amazing." Kimmie works as an Technical Support Specialist at Apple and applies what she has learned at Penn Foster to her job. "Penn Foster has really helped me in my position. Just the learning tools they have given me and the information that I have learned throughout the years of being with Penn Foster has really prepared me...when it comes to my position," she said. Kimmie is now enrolled in her seventh program with Penn Foster and doesn't plan to stop learning any time soon. Listen to her story.

Working as a medical scribe, Lysha wanted to do more in the healthcare field. A single mom, she wanted to show her son how important education is and that it is worth the time and effort you put into it. Lysha graduated from our Medical Assistant Associate Degree program and was promoted to physician's medical assistant and received a raise once she earned her degree. "The things you learn [in the program] are actually things you do in the field," she said. "Everything applies." Lysha became a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and decided to go further with her education and is now enrolled in practical nursing school. Listen to her story.

Angela Shak says she chased a college degree for 15 years. She knew she wanted to pursue an education, but could not manage climbing the corporate ladder, being a wife, a mom, and attend night school. Looking for a flexible option, she enrolled in Penn Foster. "Penn Foster fit into my crazy life and I was able to work towards completing courses based on my pace," she said. Angela has earned her associate and bachelor's degrees in Business Management from Penn Foster. "This accomplishment was a family effort, my husband has always been my partner, and my children were my cheerleaders," she said. Working at Bank of America, Angela was promoted to manager after earning her associate degree. Once she obtained her bachelor's degree, Angela was again promoted to Director, Treasury Sales Manager II. Her promotion has allowed her to earn more money, and Angela praises her Penn Foster education for helping her take the next step. "Start somewhere. Education elevates you to the next level. Invest in yourself, you are worth it," she said. Listen to her story.