Overcoming the Odds: Samantha’s Journey to Success at ICC

Balancing work and home life is a struggle for most adults. For Samantha Collins, she added on attending Illinois Central College as another part of her balancing act.

For some, the deck may seem stacked against them with all these obstacles, but Samantha embraced these challenges and was determined to achieve her Accounting Bookkeeper certificate.  

“My experience at ICC was amazing. I managed to graduate with a certificate during a pandemic, working full time, being a 40-year-old mother with two kids who had medical issues, while my husband was deployed, and all online.” 

– Samantha Collins

The staff at ICC also were crucial when it came to Samantha’s success. “My professors for my courses were great. There were times where things were a little late and the professors worked with me to make sure that we found a schedule to accommodate my life.”  

One professor really made a difference when it came to her completing her classes. “Daniel Kelly helped me through each semester. He was understanding and made each semester easier and more manageable. He understood what I was going through and showed genuine concern about what I was going through at the time. There was a period when I was putting in 135 hours at work, and he checked in with me to make sure I was managing everything all right.”  

With Samantha’s certificate, she can continue advancing in her current job as a Senior Tax Specialist at H&R Block.