After leaving a four-year college due to an unpleasant experience, Gilbert decided to pursue his education once again 15 years later. He faced indecision with selecting a major and wished to discover a new passion that he could build into a career. A Cabrillo counselor encouraged him to take a counseling and guidance course to find the best direction for him.

“I took a lot of assessments in the class which were very revealing of what I liked doing, was good at, how I liked to work, and which work environments worked best for me,” says Gilbert.

Many of those assessments showed graphic design, which Gilbert hadn’t considered before, in the top five of good career fits. He was encouraged to move forward with graphic design and photography, which was also in the top five.

“During my time at Cabrillo I received guidance from my counselor which reduced my fears about racking up bills taking classes that didn’t serve me. I received the academic accommodations I needed to succeed and great support from the instructors.”

The classes were challenging, but he found success with the instructors’ direction and his staying focused and precise in his work. He’s now working toward a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

“I’m proud of many of my projects; I put a lot of effort into them to ensure they were high quality and something I’d be excited about.”