TELFAIR COUNTY

Samantha Harrelson enrolled in the ITA program on March 11, 2019. She attended Middle GA State University and completed the Regular/Special Education Program for Early Childhood. Samantha was able to quit working part-time and focus on her studies while in the ITA program. Samantha completed the program as a Dean's List Scholar.

See what Samantha had to say about the WIOA program: “I earned a degree in Regular/Special Education for Early Childhood while attending Middle Georgia State University. I have had the privilege to be on the WIOA program for the past year and a half. Before I was on the program, I worked a part-time job while also attending college full time. I would go to college Monday through Friday and work every Saturday and Sunday. So I either had to stay up later in the week to finish up homework or get up earlier than my shift to finish all my schoolwork. I was able to quit my job so I could continue my college education because of this program. The WIOA program helped me afford my tuition without taking out massive loans and paying for the books that I needed for my classes. If I were unable to be on this program, I would have had to continue working my full-time job and not focus on my schoolwork. I would not have graduated with Magna Cum Laude or Dean’s List Scholar because I would have had to focus on making sure I had enough money to continue to go to school. I would most likely have dropped out of school so I could save enough money to be able to go back to college eventually. I believe that I would not have started back to college if I had to quit to save money.”