CCBC Student, Sustainable Horticulture
Angela was able to engineer a career change tuition free by pursuing a sustainable horticulture degree at CCBC.
As a result of COVID-19, Angela Schwartz’s hours and income were cut in half at the therapy horse farm where she worked, and she found herself with extra time on her hands.
“I knew I would have to change careers in order to survive,” said Schwartz. “When I found out I was eligible for free tuition at CCBC, it was a no-brainer for me. This opportunity allowed me to return to school without the burden of figuring out how to pay for it and inspired me to start my own business.”
Schwartz started taking classes at CCBC in 2020 to pursue a degree in Sustainable Horticulture. She’s not the type of person who can sit behind a desk for eight hours a day, so she wanted a career path that would allow her to be outdoors and be active.
“I love learning about soil management and ways that we can preserve our land for future generations, and the Sustainable Horticulture program allows me to take my career in agriculture in a different direction,” said Schwartz, who plans to start a non-profit farm that offers a variety of educational programs for both children and adults and provides horticultural therapy for people with disabilities.
Schwartz says that CCBC’s flexible schedule works well, along with her busy life full of work and family responsibilities. She has found that taking online classes using the Microsoft Teams platform has been very accessible, and professors are going the extra mile to make sure to help students who may be struggling online.
“I never really saw myself as a scholar, but since I've started back at school and have begun writing papers and doing research, I've found a whole new side of myself that loves studying and writing,” said Schwartz, who has also taken advantage of opportunities outside the classroom to get involved at CCBC.
Schwartz is one of CCBC’s Fresh Faces student ambassadors, which allows her to meet and share ideas with other students, build lasting friendships and help others to achieve their goals.
I'd love to inspire other people age 50+ to attend CCBC. My message is, ‘It's not too late to move your life and career in a different, wonderful direction.’
Schwartz plans to earn her associate degree at CCBC before she gets her non-profit farm up and running.