Posted:

April 30, 2021

Ratna Harris was working in a bank, feeling stuck in her career, and she knew she couldn’t get promoted without more education.    Her aunt noticed that she was always searching the want ads, and she advised Ratna to look into an accounting career.  “Businesses always have accounting departments–it’s a good field to go into,” she advised.  

Ratna always loved working with numbers, so she knew that her aunt’s advice made good sense.  Originally from Indonesia, Ratna already had a BA in Social Science, but needed additional education to reach higher in her career in the United States. 

She did her research and found that the Century College Accounting program offered several options. She discussed her plans with her advisor, and decided to start with the Accounting Clerk certificate.  Once she finished, she quickly moved on to get her Accounting Technician certificate.  Ratna’s advisor encouraged her to continue.  This May, she’s graduating with her diploma in Accounting, and in the fall, she’ll return to Century to get her Associate in Applied Science degree (Transfer Pathway).

Committed to Excellence

Since starting her classes at Century in 2019, Ratna has also been working full time, most recently at Global Tax Network, in a job that she loves,  Focused on her career, Ratna says, “I am committed to excellence, and do my very best every day.  And, my employer is so supportive, as is my work team. I’m very happy there.” 

Going back to school as an adult learner wasn’t easy, but Ratna found that Century’s online classes worked particularly well with her work schedule.  She is very disciplined, and makes sure to stay on top of her homework each day.  Her hard work has paid off.  She is graduating with high distinction, and a GPA of 3.75.

Advice for New Students

For students new to Century College, Ratna offers this advice: “Try to connect as much as you can with everyone at the College.  Century is open to everyone–and if you have any kind of problem, they will have a solution for you.”

“The best part of my Century College experience was all the support I received from the faculty and staff,” Ratna notes. “I came to the U.S. knowing nothing about higher education here, and got help from advisors and counselors, the Admissions team, Financial Aid team, and I also got support from the IT team for assistance with online classes—they are particularly helpful.

“The teachers always keep in touch—They’re all flexible with Zoom meetings, and responsive to students—both online and in person,”  Ratna says, “Century College changed my life and my career path.”

 

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