Ashworth College News & Events

Whitesboro Resident Receives a Full-Tuition Online Degree Scholarship from Ashworth College

NORCROSS, Georgia – December 11, 2009 – Ashworth College today announced that Christy Shephard, a resident of Whitesboro, NY, is the recipient of a full-tuition scholarship, to pursue her degree online. Shephard's essay, where she shared her personal story and aspiration to attain a higher education to improve her life, was selected from the close to 300,000 applicants applying for an eLearners.com Career Stimulus Package Scholarship.

Shephard is a believer that dreams can come true with hard work and dedication. It's her "can do" attitude that she plans to bring to her studies as she pursues a Professional Medical Billing and Claims Program at Ashworth College (http://www.ashworthcollege.edu).

"I have always been a hard worker," Shephard said. "I moved out of my mother's house when I was 17 and worked hard to graduate on time and pay my rent. By the age of 18 I was managing a clothing store in the mall and working 60 hours a week. Since then, I have held several management positions until I lost my most recent position due to company down-sizing."

"There is no doubt in my mind that a education changes lives, opens doors, and makes dreams a reality," she explained. "Not only will earning my diploma online give me the flexibility to stay at home and take care of my daughter, it will allow me to become a role model for her and show her that dreams can come true with hard work and dedication."

In addition to being a wife and mother, Shepherd also makes time to give back to her local community -- assisting a local animal shelter with their pet adoption program and helping to train police dogs and guide dogs for the deaf and blind. "There is no greater gift to a blind, deaf, or disabled person than a trained assistance dog," she added. "Guide dogs are a beautiful thing, and I want to offer that to the world."

The Career Stimulus Package $4 million scholarship campaign was designed to highlight the need for financial aid and promote awareness and interest in online higher education.  It also helped give people the confidence they need to pursue a degree and the career they want, even in this tough economy.  The Career Stimulus Package campaign received about 100,000 applications a month from adults who expressed interest in returning to school.  To apply for a scholarship, applicants had to explain why they want to go back to school, what they hope to accomplish, how online education would help them accomplish those goals, and their personal stories of triumph over adversity. 

"Participating in the Career Stimulus Package Scholarship Campaign has been a positive experience for Ashworth College," said F. Milton Miller, Ed.D. and Ashworth Vice President, Education. "It's a great opportunity, through education, to help deserving, hard-working adults make a positive impact in their lives."

"With the current economic climate, it is essential to have the greatest competitive advantage possible," Miller added. "Having a college degree or advanced training can set an employee or job seeker apart -- demonstrating business knowledge to peers, potential customers and current or future employers."

In addition to the scholarship for Shephard, Ashworth College granted an additional 29 scholarships.  In total, the Career Stimulus Package campaign awarded more than 100 full-tuition scholarships to deserving adults, with the help of eight accredited online schools. 

"Thanks to the incredible generosity of our partner schools, adults are able to go back to school without having to worry about how they are  going to fund their education," said Terrence Thomas, Executive Vice President of Marketing for eLearners.com.  "Adults are often a forgotten population when it comes to financial aid.  We hear from people over and over that they want to go back to school, but can't afford it.  This campaign helped eliminate one huge roadblock for these individuals." 

The Career Stimulus Package campaign also included a nationwide RV tour which traveled across the country from June to September 2009, offering free career coaching.  Nearly 1,000 people took part in the career coaching, which led to the creation of a free book of wisdom based on the most common questions asked from the road.  That book can be found at http://www.careerstimulus.com.

About EducationDynamics

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About Ashworth College

As leading online school, Ashworth College has built a tradition of excellence spanning 25 years, offering students worldwide more than 115 online college degrees, online certificate programs and online high school diploma options that are affordable and fit the busy schedules of working adults. Ashworth offers military education as well as specialized programs for corporate partners and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Peachtree Corners, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the DETC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency. James Madison High School is further accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). For more information, visit http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/.

Press Contact:
Richard Orr
Ashworth College
publicity@ashworthcollege.edu
(770) 729-8400