Tara Turley

How many years has it been since you graduated high school?

20

What motivated you to return to college?

When I graduated high school, I chose to forgo college and started a career at a large corporation. I worked there for 13 years intending to retire, but they laid me off in 2011. I had no formal education nor a plan B, so I really didn’t know what to do. Determined not to be defeated and to show my daughters the power of tenacity, I entered a vocational program in electrical technology and became an electrician. However, I still wanted to pursue my degree so that I would always have something that no one could ever take away from me again.

Why did you choose to enroll in the RBA program?

I chose to enroll in the RBA program because it was a perfect fit for my life, and I knew I could tailor it to suit my former life experiences as well as use credits from the 5 year electrical apprenticeship I am about to finish up through the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Alliance.

What are your career goals, and how do you think the RBA program will help you achieve them?

Since being uprooted from the career I began as a young adult, I have thought of many things I would like to do when I “grow up” (again). For one, starting my own business, which the minor in Business Administration will be helpful. More recently, however, I have become increasingly interested in the safety side of things in the construction industry. I want to be able to help people and keep them safe while performing their job, and I believe all the communication skills I am acquiring with the Human Service minor will certainly behoove me in that endeavor as well!