Charting a New Path
Working mother Allyson Silva returns to school, starts new career following pandemic downsizing
Allyson Silva said she chose Baton Rouge Community College because of its reputation and the opportunities it would give her to advance in an industry she once worked in as an analyst.
Although Silva had a bachelor’s degree, she still faced an uphill battle after the company she was working for downsized during the height of COVID. After that experience, she decided to chart a new path and enrolled at BRCC in the Process Technology program.
The 34-year-old wife and a mother of two, balanced a busy home life, while still maintaining a 4.0 GPA in all of her Process Technology courses.
Even with her outstanding grades, Silva said her biggest challenge was getting through the online classes due to COVID restrictions. She credits her family for inspiring her to give her best so there would not be any excuses for failure. She said she is appreciative of all her instructors who were supportive and always available to assist any student seeking help.
Silva also said she was grateful to have PTEC instructors with decades of experience in the industry that gave her the tools to be job-ready.
“With the support of BRCC’s experienced professors, I was able to achieve my goals in the PTEC program without sacrificing time with my family," said Silva. "Now, my girls have seen me thrive in a program that wasn’t built for me, but with the professors’ help, allowed me to make it work for me. BRCC has successfully prepared me for my future role as a process operator and I am grateful for the experience they have provided.”
Silva was offered a job after completing an internship with Dow Chemical that will help bring stability to what she aspires to do as a career.
“Getting in this field was the biggest hurdle and BRCC placed me in the right place at the right time,” said Silva.
She added that she is excited about graduating after having no idea of what she would do two years ago, and now she sees this as the beginning of an opportunity to succeed.
She encourages incoming BRCC students to stay focused on their goals and utilize all the tools the college offers to help them be successful.