Making the decision to go back to school isn’t easy. Jo-Ann
Williams first graduated from Peirce with her associate degree in 1987 and
started working a full time job.
Several years later, she wanted to take the next step in her
career so she made the decision to earn her bachelor’s degree in Paralegal
Studies. “I had the experience,” she told us. “I just didn’t have the degree to
back up that experience.”
She came back to the
College because Peirce supported her needs as a working adult with flexible online and on campus
class schedules. But that wasn’t the only reason. She also knew that
Peirce’s
program was the only paralegal bachelor’s degree in the region approved by the
American Bar Association, which would help her stand out to potential
employers.
She saw the value of working toward her degree as her career
path accelerated. “Peirce offers all types of career development
workshops and networking events so you know that you can get the resources you
need to increase your career and professional development skills,” she said. “They
are the reason I was able to move from one level to the next. I started out as
a legal secretary and now here I am, a supervisor with a seat at the manager’s
table. I’m able to make effective
decisions for our administrative staff thanks to Peirce events and workshops.”
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2004, Jo-Ann says
that she enjoyed her experience so much that she never really left – “I’m there
every week!,” she says. Jo-Ann sits on
the Paralegal Studies Advisory Board, and is an active Board Member for the
Alumni Association. “The world should know Peirce. If I could stand from a mountain top and just
shout about how great Peirce is, I would. ”
Today, Jo-Ann is employed with the United States Court of
Appeals for the Third Circuit. In 2013, the College awarded her with the Peirce
College Women in Leadership Award for her outstanding professional
accomplishments and commitment to mentorship.
Jo-Ann advises prospective students not to wait: “The early
bird catches the worm. You must show up
and you must show up early in the legal field. People’s lives depend on it.”
