Instructional Associate, Business Information Technology (BIT) Lab, and Adjunct Faculty
Cedar Valley College

“I really just fell into earning my associate degree at Cedar Valley. I had been home with my kids, doing volunteer work and temporary jobs, for so long that earning a degree seemed like such an impossible thing. I just started taking classes and achieving some certificates, and before I knew it I was going for an associate degree. Once I realized that some of my previous coursework would apply, it seemed really doable.

“When my kids were old enough not to need me so much, I started looking in the want ads for jobs, but they all asked for computer skills. My kids were always talking about computers, too, and I wanted to be able to relate to what they were talking about. I thought I’d go pick up some software classes while the kids were in school. Pretty soon, my instructors at Cedar Valley were talking to me about becoming an adjunct instructor myself. I started taking core courses beyond the computer courses to get my associate degree.

“At first, I didn’t really have any plans except to upgrade my computer skills and maybe get a job. But what I’ve found is that I love working at Cedar Valley and being on campus, and I really enjoy my work. It also feels good to support myself. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy working with students; I love being in education.

“The best part of my experience at Cedar Valley was the way that the instructors and personnel - especially Burlene Willson, Meg Dollgener and Anila Das - were genuinely interested in my individual ambitions.

“I would never have pictured myself having this career when I was a stay-at-home mom. But before I knew it, I was just rolling along in my education. Because so many courses are self-paced and you can do so much work at home, it was very convenient for me to go back to school. My kids – who are now 19 and 25 – are very proud of me. And I’m very proud of this program. I think it could really work for a lot of people.”

Gwyn Cicione earned a BOSS - Executive Assistant associate degree from Cedar Valley College after taking classes at San Antonio Junior College and UT years ago. She also earned three BOSS certificates: Software Specialist, Office Assistant and Administrative Support. She helps run the college’s computer lab and assists students with self-paced courses, and as an adjunct instructor teaches some of the software courses she once took. She plans to begin coursework soon on a bachelor’s degree.