Opportunities Start Here

Date Published: November 15, 2017

Terri Walter wanted to work in business, or so she thought.

Walter came to Westmoreland County Community College in 2011 to study Business Administration and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from California University of Pennsylvania before accepting a position in logistics.

"I didn't like it," she said. "It wasn't for me."

The Mount Pleasant native decided to come back to school, and back to Westmoreland. She began studying Dietetics in 2016 and is due to graduate again later this month.

"I came back because I could take online and evening courses," she said. "It was really convenient because I could still work." She was also carrying debt from her bachelor's degree. "Cost was also a major factor."

Walter, 24, now works full-time as a server at a local restaurant and takes classes on campus two days each week.

"I can work when I need to. There are always classes available."

Terri Walter RunningShe also finds time to be a member of the Wolfpack Cross Country team, which she joined even though she never ran for a team before.

"I wanted to make new friends with common interests," she said. "A lot of my friends don't want to go on a six-mile run."

She encourages other students to participate in athletics, especially because it has helped her maintain her grades and attendance.

"It's been great," she said. "The coaches really care about everybody. They would check on work, school and making sure my whole life was OK." Terri Walter

Walter is now planning for her new career.

"I would like to work in a school district or personal care facility," she said. After completing a summer internship at a personal care facility in Monroeville, she knows she is on the right track.

"I loved it," she said. "I know there are opportunities out there." She credits one of her professors in the School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Cheryl Shipley, with helping her secure the internship.

"She really has my best interests at heart," Walter said. Shipley was her instructor for two online classes.

That personal touch sets Westmoreland apart, Walter said. "My professors from the first time around still remember me."

Culinary Arts is the Program of the Month for November. Learn more HERE and join us for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Discovery Day on Nov. 29!