Success Stories

• Debby Garrett
  Class of 2012 - Tumwater, WA
  
  
  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting
  • Attends classes on the Renton and Tacoma CityU campuses
  • Transfer Scholarship Recipient
  • Need-based scholarship

  
  

  "I chose to get my Bachelor's of Science in Accounting at CityU of Seattle because getting an accounting degree was one of my lifelong dreams. I was attracted to CityU because of their conveniently located campuses and online courses. Because I had taken a number of accounting courses at the community college level, I was eligible for a transfer scholarship, which would help me pay for the needed classes to complete my bachelor's degree. When I received the news that CityU accepted my application and granted me this scholarship, I found new hope in my dream."

  Six years ago, Debby Garrett left an abusive situation and her home of 20+ years in Florida to start over with her daughter in Tumwater, Washington, where she now lives with her father. She decided to fulfill her goal of becoming an accountant by enrolling in a local community college and getting her associate's degree in accounting. When looking for a job, Debby quickly discovered her associate's degree wasn't enough to get hired – even at the entry level. In 2009, Debby found CityU and discovered that they have a transfer scholarship available to students who have attended a technical or community college and aspire to a four year degree. She immediately applied and was accepted into the program and awarded the scholarship. Now, Debbie will soon become a celebrated CityU alumna.

  Debby's goal is to work for an accounting firm or the federal government as an auditor. She envisions herself eventually working as a forensic accountant, focusing on financial fraud prevention.

• Denny Lie
  Class of 2011 - Seattle, WA
  
  
  • Master of Business
  • Attends classes on the CityU Bellevue campus
  • SIFE & International Scholarship Recipient
  • Students in Free Enterprise

  
  

  "The flexibility CityU of Seattle offers, allows me to take classes that interest me. Because CityU is made up of students who are working in addition to going to class, many class discussions revolve around people's current job(s), which give students a better picture of real-world scenarios."

  During Deny's time at CityU, he received three scholarships – two SIFE scholarships and one international student scholarship. The SIFE scholarships were given to Deny in recognition of his year-long commitment and leadership role as a SIFE chair member. For Deny, who was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, the international student scholarship was the most crucial to completing his education. He received the scholarship one quarter before he graduated and may not have completed his degree without it. Since international students are restricted by immigration laws from having offsite jobs, his scholarship provided him with the means necessary to complete his education. Now, we are proud to have Deny be a celebrated member of the CityU alumni.

  Deny currently has an internship at a sustainability company and hopes to work for a company focused on reprocessing and recycling in the future.

• Melissa Linquist
  Class of 2012 - Grays River, WA
  
  
  • Master in Teaching
  • Attends classes on the CityU Vancouver, WA campus
  • Diversity Scholarship Recipient
  • Need-based scholarship

  
  

  "I am inspired to dedicate myself to teaching. I really believe that education is the path that will lead us to a better life. I am well on my way to receiving my certification in Elementary Education and feel so much hope for the future. I truly believe that CityU and this scholarship helped put my family back on a happy path."

  In June 2010, Melissa Linquist's husband lost his job. Melissa was pregnant and staying home with their 18-month-old son. The future looked bleak. She wanted to contribute, but didn't want to find just any job. Melissa decided to pursue her longtime goal of getting her master's in teaching. After doing some research, she determined CityU of Seattle would allow her to accomplish this goal without having to sacrifice her time with her family. Melissa commutes over an hour every Saturday to Vancouver, Washington to take classes and says the program is well worth the drive. Given her family's financial hardships, Melissa took out loans for her graduate program and was elated to find out about the Diversity Scholarship. Melissa, who has a great-grandmother who is full-blooded Cherokee Indian, found out she was eligible for this diversity scholarship. Upon applying she was selected for the award and is now on her way to becoming another great CityU alumna.

  Melissa hopes to teach at the elementary level in Longview, Cathlamet or Naselle, Washington.

• Lee Rushing
  Class of 2011 - Redmond, WA
  
  
  • Bachelor of Arts in Management
  • Attends classes on the CityU Bellevue campus
  • Former Scholarship Recipient
  • Students in Free Enterprise

  
  

  "SIFE offered me a chance to use the management skills learned in my coursework and apply them to service-oriented projects while gaining real-world experience outside of my profession. My experience at CityU and with SIFE gave me the confidence, skills and courage to start my own business and forge my own future."

  When Lee received his first SIFE Leadership scholarship in 2010, he was one year into his education at CityU and had already exhausted his savings. When he was awarded the SIFE scholarship, he was able to pay his bills and reduce his loan payments. He received a second SIFE scholarship in 2011 when he was a quarter shy of graduation and possibly having to quit school because of his financial situation. Lee was out of money and his student loans were not covering the cost of his education. By serving as the President of SIFE and by demonstrating leadership within this group, Lee was awarded the SIFE Leadership Scholarship and was able to finish his degree on time.

  Lee is starting his own e-commerce business, which is focused on selling eco-friendly products. He plans to pursue his MBA in the near future.

• Arthur Yearty
  Class of 2011 - Federal Way, WA
  
  
  • Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology
  • Attends CityU classes online
  • Laid Off Worker Scholarship Recipient
  • Need-based scholarship

  
  

  "The efficiency of CityU of Seattle was very attractive. No time spent commuting. I could work on my own schedule. I literally took on school as a full-time job. It worked out very well. It was quite a challenging endeavor."

  Arthur became a CityU student after being laid off from Boeing. This was the second time he had experienced a lay off in less than four years. He had been laid off prior to this while working with Alaska Airlines. Before working with Boeing and Alaska Airlines, Arthur had spent 25 years in the airline industry. He recognized that without a degree, he wouldn't be able to secure the kind of job he really wanted. At 62, Arthur found himself unemployed and unable to pay for his education. Two months after being laid off, Arthur found CityU and their laid-off worker scholarship, which is offered to students who go back to school and receive aid based on the Trade Adjustment Act. In January 2010, Arthur was awarded this scholarship and in 2011 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology.

  Arthur is currently seeking employment with a company that has a high internal training requirement or a customer-based training requirement utilizing distance learning.