I was working full-time when I enrolled at HCC in 1976, and because of that, and having to pay for my education, it was a long journey to graduation. But the rewards of earning my degree cannot be over-estimated. I worked during the day and took classes at night, which more than anything else, taught me to be disciplined in my studies. My professors were understanding of the time commitment my job required, and that sometimes, the job took precedence. Small class sizes made it easy to get to know my professors and they encouraged me to keeping working toward my degree. I graduated from HCC with an A.S. Degree in business administration, which helped me to advance into management at TECO and continues to help me as a General Manager at Hillsborough County.