Ontika Porter's story Tika Porter originally came to Aims to pursue a degree in nursing, but after earning her Certified Nurse Aide degree and working in the field, she quickly realized it wasn't the right career path for her. She tried again in 2000, this time in engineering, but she found the demands of raising five children and attending school made it unrealistic for her to succeed at both.
Still, she didn't give up. She always kept her mother's words to her close to her heart. "Getting your education is the best thing you can offer to your children," she remembers her mother telling her. "I try to be a role model to my kids."
In 2006, with her children all in school now, Porter returned to Aims, this time with a renewed excitement for the construction management program.
"I've always been really hands on. I enjoy putting things together and fixing things up at home," she said. "I truly enjoy doing my homework."
Porter, who is going through a divorce, said she realized she needed to earn a degree as quickly as she could, so she could boost her earning potential. "This way I have the credentials to get started," she said. "If I decide down the road to go back to school for my bachelor's degree, I can do that, too."
She's secured a work-study position in maintenance and construction through Aims at the City of Greeley's Centennial Village, an opportunity she said has been invaluable to her.
"The work study gives me the opportunity to apply everything I'm learning in class," she said. "My supervisor tells me because I'm a woman going into the field, guys might not want to hear it from me, so he's making sure I know what I'm talking about."
Porter said she hopes to secure an internship this summer with a local construction company or Habitat for Humanity, then graduate in the fall. She said her experience at Aims has been extraordinary, from the instructors and tutors to the facilities and fellow students. "Everybody at Aims has been very helpful to me. You never get the run-around. There's always someone to answer your questions." Read about another student |
