I live in a relatively small town in central Arizona called Prescott Valley. The weather here is great because we get all four seasons, but all of them are relatively mild. In the summer, we may have a short period of 100° days, but not months of sweltering heat that Phoenix sees each year to the south. We get occasional snow in the winter, but it is typically gone by the afternoon. To the north in Flagstaff, they have much more snow and a colder winter overall.
While the weather is great, the area does have some downsides. The disadvantages of the area include the year-round seasonal allergies and the reality that this is a major retirement community. Since so much of the community is retired, many of the employment opportunities are service or medical.
My current job is as a Service Supervisor at Kohl's in Prescott Valley. It is a decent job with good people. I have learned much about myself and grown over the years in my various roles there. When they introduced a new education benefit a few years ago, I was excited to see what was offered but uncertain how I could best utilize it. I took a leadership essentials certificate through eCornell and enjoyed it. It gave me the tools to excel in my current role and beyond. After that, I looked at something more technology-oriented. I've always been great with technology but had little on my resume to demonstrate it. I took the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. While working towards that certificate, I also dabbled in Python programming through some online courses I found. I wanted to see if I enjoyed it and was planning on what to learn next. A Python certificate was in my sights.
I enjoyed building projects with Python far more than IT Support. I looked at job postings for Python developers, and they all listed a Bachelor's Degree, often as the first requirement. I investigated what it would take to earn my Bachelor's through Bellevue and discovered that it was not only achievable, but it wouldn't take all that long with my transfer credits from my Associate's Degree and certificates. I'm motivated for a change and Software Development feels like the best opportunity for my personality and skills.
1000 Galvin Rd S
Bellevue, NE 68005