May 6, 2019
About 10,000 family and friends of American Career College graduates gathered this May at Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario to celebrate spring graduation.
ACC Chief Academic & Student Experience Officer Susan Pailet said she never gets tired of seeing how proud the grads are about their accomplishments and how excited they get for what's next.
"To see all of these smiles, the pictures, the tears and, most of all, the families -- the families that have been there with our graduates through day and night and all the sacrifices they've made," Pailet said. "We just cannot say thank you enough."
ACC-Los Angeles ADN graduate Aldwin Generoso said he felt lucky to find a career that suited him so well.
"We help other people, we take care of them and that just fits my personality the best and I love it. I mean it's challenging, don't get me wrong but if you stick with it, I say it's all worth it," Generoso said.
ACC-Ontario radiography graduate Lorenzo Vega became interested in the field after his wife started working in healthcare. He never wanted to quit while in the associate degree program, but acknowledged that the long hours of his clinical rotation took a toll. But, Vega quickly added, he knew it was only a temporary hardship for a long-term reward.
"You weigh your options -- a little bit of struggle now, a few rough patches, no money in your pocket and stuff like that, but compared to as soon as you're done you have a skill now that nobody can take away from you," Vega said.
ACC-Orange County medical billing and coding graduate Tristan Moore said he hadn't heard of ACC when he first starting exploring options for school, but he soon became convinced it was the right place for him.
"ACC is a very good college. When I got there the people were helpful, the students were helpful," Moore said. "It's a really good school if you're really focused. Just stick with it if you want a career change, if you have the drive and the goal. Just stick and it's going to pay off at the end."
ACC-Lynwood vocational nursing grad Ruby Rodas admitted becoming a nurse wasn't easy, but with the help of her classmates, her teachers and her family, she persevered.
"In the end, it was worth it," Rodas said. "Being a nurse, if you're able to help one person in your life you've made a difference -- and being a nurse I helped so many people and I'm grateful for that."
Ontario Campus: Voted Best Career College in the 2023 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Readers Choice Awards.
LA Campus: Voted Best Career College in the 2023 LA Daily News Readers Choice Awards.
OC Campus: Voted Favorite Career College in the 2023 San Gabriel Valley Tribune Readers Choice Awards.