For some people going back to school in their 30’s can be hard for someone who has been out of school for a long time
Many people are looking to advance their career at this age or take a new path because they realized they desire more than just a job. Making the choice to return to school at 30 years old can be trickier than it might look at first glance.
Candice Guinta, a 30-year-old laboratory assistant at LDS Hospital, has made the decision to go back to school.
“I have just been thinking lately of how important it is that I go back to school,” Guinta says. “I would like to start a family in the coming years. But on the salary I make right now, it’s barely enough to support myself.”
Guinta has been out of school for more than 11 years. Guinta is an independent person who dreams of having a partner and children in the near future. Raising the family of her dreams requires not only financial independency but a well-rounded education.
Guinta also sees other reasons where a better salary would help
To Guinta, supporting a family isn’t the only important part of a better salary. Other important factors include setting a financial goal for the future and actually reaching it as well as having a saving account in case of financial hardship.
“I believe that going back to school will provide me with skills that will help me find a better paying job,” Guinta says. “I am hoping to find a job someday where I won’t have to live paycheck to paycheck so I can actually put some money away.”
Guinta also feels that going back to school to gain a degree will help her become a better contributor to society. Guinta believes that having a degree from college will open many doors to her. Dreams of being able to reach her goal keep her going when things get tough.
“I am working a job right now that is not really taking me anywhere. I can’t really go very far in my job,” Guinta says. “Someday after I graduate from college, I think I will be able to go so much farther in a career and feel like I am actually doing something with my life.”
Guinta has chosen to go to SLCC through the Radiology Tech program
It seems a good fit for Guinta because she would like to stay in the medical field.
Employment at Intermountain Healthcare helps Guinta pay tuition costs, which make her motivated to keep good grades. Anyone who is enrolled in the Intermountain Healthcare employee program has to maintain a GPA of 3.0 to receive such help.
Eric Woodbury, a Research and Development Lab Tech for a cosmetic product company, feels the same way as Guinta. Woodbury, a 32 year old, has gone as far as he can in his company without a degree. Woodbury likes his job; however, he has decided to go back to school to finish up his degree. He’s back at SLCC finishing up his generals before he transfers to a University to finish up a degree in chemistry.
“Getting my degree in chemistry will allow me to oversee productivity in the lab I work in, and I will be able to move into management,” Woodbury says. “Without a [chemistry] degree, I am stuck just mixing chemicals all day. I really want to be writing the formulas and putting my name on something in the company.”
Woodbury just wants the chance to make a difference in the company. The degree he is seeking will allow him to do just that.
Woodbury’s decision to go back to school was due to the success of his friends
“All my friends have been finished with school for years now and have moved forward,” Woodbury says. “But I have felt stuck for a few years. My decision to go back to school has been based on seeing how successful my friends have been in their lives, and I want that.”
Guinta and Woodbury are showing commitment to school through grades and are on the way to landing their dream job. Reaching the age of thirty has made them realize what they want to do with their life as well as given them a path to reach success.
For more information on employees’ benefits at the Intermountain Healthcare go to www.intermountainhealthcare.org/about/careers/training/Pages/home.aspx