Getting a Head Start on Success

Carmen Bello is a perfect example of what a person can achieve when he or she has a plan and sticks to it. Carmen, a 2012 graduate of Danville High School, started taking dual enrollment courses at Danville Area Community College while she was still in high school.

“I chose to attend DACC after high school because I wanted to use the dual credits I had already earned,” she stated. “I didn’t feel that a four-year university was the right fit for me or the field I wanted to study.”

Carmen majored in Application Development and received her Associate degree in May 2014. One of her fondest memories of her experience at DACC was her major instructor, Kathy Franklin.

“Kathy Franklin was my primary instructor when I was at DACC and she is amazing,” Carmen exclaimed. “She was so supportive of everyone in class and really made it fun to learn. She also was willing to help out with work. I continue to reach out to her today if I hit a hard spot and work and need some additional guidance.”

Carmen wished to work as a Web Developer and she made that wish come true even before graduation. Due to the nature of her computer-based courses, she was able to complete her classes and graduate in May, three months after finding employment in her field. She was hired as a Junior Web Developer at a non-profit association and moved to Chicago in March 2014.

Carmen said, “DACC helped me attain this goal by providing me with courses relevant to the field I wanted to work in and providing me with instructors who cared about me and my success.”

Her student success and preparation has turned into professional achievement. Within her first year, Carmen was promoted to Senior Web Developer and Head of Information Technology.

Carmen was pleased with her experience at DACC and would strongly recommend the College to others. “DACC gave me the degree and courses I needed to get a job in the field I wanted. Having small class sizes and instructors who know and care about you really helps you feel like you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. It’s also very cost efficient. If I hadn’t attended a community college I would still be in school instead of having a head start on my career!”