“I never want to be in this situation
again.”
This was Steve Moleski’s primary thought when his employer
unexpectedly laid him off in 2011. Up until that time, Moleski had been
enjoying a career in the real estate industry, having held positions as a
mortgage broker, loan officer, and sales person. But at this crossroads in his
life, he knew he needed to make a change - not only for himself, but for the
good of his son, Stephen, who had been born in late 2009.
“My son will have a better life than I did,” Moleski recalls
vowing to himself, and inspired by that promise, he enrolled in college for the
first time in 2011, attending Manor Junior College. As he was finishing
up his associate degree in 2013, Moleski was determined to continue his
education.
By that point, he was employed once again, in the City of
Philadelphia’s Department of Records. He became aware that to maximize
his opportunities in the City’s employment system, he would eventually need to
earn a bachelor’s degree. Peirce became an attractive option for a bachelor's
once he learned that the City was a partner employer with the College: this
afforded him a 25% discount on tuition. Combined with the facts that the
College had a robust business program and was located just down the street from
his office at City Hall, he says his decision was easy – “a no-brainer” - to
choose Peirce.
In addition to meeting his school commitments, Moleski also
had to balance sometimes conflicting demands of family and work. During the
time he attended Peirce, Moleski had been promoted to lead a team of five who
serve the title registration needs of the City. His success in the new
position came as a result of fierce commitment to inspire his staff to defy
expectations and provide consistently excellent customer service to all whom they
encountered.
While his academic achievements at Peirce were many, they
required a tremendous amount of focus and a will to succeed. But in the end,
his perseverance paid off: on June 10, 2015, Stephen Moleski graduated magna
cum laude with a BS in Business Administration, concentration in
management. During his time at Peirce, he had been on both the Dean’s
List and President’s List, and earned selection to Delta Mu Delta, the business
honor society. Armed with his degree, and utilizing his tenure with the City of
Philadelphia and prior experience in real estate, he intends to take on new
professional challenges to keep advancing professionally.
Looking back, Steve Moleski is proud of his accomplishments,
but knows it was not easy: he reflects that isolating himself to study, making
financial sacrifices, and spending so much time away from his young son meant
“I gave up a lot”. However, he takes great satisfaction in knowing that
earning his degree was all worth it: for the sense of empowerment it has
given him, the opportunities to flourish throughout the rest of his career, and
the chance to give his son the best future possible.
