When Valerie Connor moved to the United States from Montreal, Canada, 11 years ago, she didn’t have a high school diploma.

But she did have motivation, which led her not only to a high school education, but to an associate degree in management from SC4.

“It was awesome for my self-confidence; I saw I could do something for myself. It is self-fulfillment,” she said.

Connor, 30 of Marysville has used her degree to find a job she thoroughly enjoys She’s an import analyst for DHL Global Forwarding in Port Huron.

Connor’s job is to make sure foreign shipments for her customers speedily enter the United States through customs inspections.

While sitting in a Port Huron office, she’s responsible for ensuring a shipment from Japan enters a city such as Phoenix. The job is fun, she said, and has driven her to reach for higher goals.

“I want to be the CEO of a company. I can be more,” she said.

Connor said the SC4 experience helped her at home, as well.

“I was a role model for my own son. I would do homework with him; it’s great. It made me feel like a million dollars.”

Reprinted from SC4 College Connection newsletter, August 2006  (pdf)