Rachelle Bone-Balander

—Keep Pushing Forward

I enrolled at Crafton Hills College in 2006 at seventeen years old. I knew after high school that I wanted a college degree but I felt insecure about attending a four year college. Throughout high school I did not consider myself a strong student, I had no idea what career path I wanted and I needed class options that catered to people who were working full time. These, with other reasons, were why I decided on attending Crafton. At the time I didn’t know it, but Crafton ended up being one of the best decisions I made for myself in my teenage years. The professors helped me gain confidence in myself as a student, I was exposed to many areas which helped me figure out what I wanted in a career and although working full time I still was able to have that college experience I strived for. After three years at Crafton I received my Associate in Liberal Arts degree and finally had the confidence and motivation to move on to a four year college to finish my Bachelors. After taking some time off from school to travel, I ended up with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Cal State San Bernardino in 2014.

A decade later I am still happy with the education, experience and friends I made in my years at CHC. For current CHC students, I encourage you to keep pushing forward, (like myself) this could be one of the decisions you can make for yourself! The days are long, but the weeks will fly by, stick with it and join me in proudly being a Crafton Hills College Alumni.