Calbright celebrated a major milestone late last year, awarding its 1,000th certificate of completion! As of today, Calbright has awarded 1,174 certificates.
What do those graduates have to say about us?
There’s a common anecdote that many students at Calbright tell: When they first heard about Calbright, they thought it was a scam. A free, online community college that will bring in-demand skills training right to your door? It couldn’t possibly be real.
“I tell people about Calbright all the time, and their first reaction is usually what mine was at first: ‘It’s too good! There’s no way it’s real!’ Nobody believes that this is really free!” said Randall (graduate #428), who completed Calbright’s Data Analysis program.
But it is real – an innovative reinvention of college by the state of California – and the students who tell that story often become graduates who are Calbright’s biggest ambassadors. Randall’s among them: “When you think about it, it’s crazy that there’s an institution like this, but it’s also crazy that there aren’t a lot of institutions like this. Why did nobody ever do this before?”
So is Pratima (graduate #1,002), who says:
“I’m spreading the word to those who I know live in California and are looking for upskilling and career transition. Calbright is such an amazing resource. Where was this all along! I wish we had this 10 years ago!”
It’s a common sentiment among Calbright graduates. 85% of Calbright students say they are satisfied with their experience, and 78% say it has already supported them in achieving professional or personal goals.
85% of Calbright students say they are satisfied with their experience, and 78% say it has already supported them in achieving professional or personal goals.
Beyond that, Calbright students are not just incredibly diverse, coming from 54 of California’s 58 counties, they have had very different experiences. Calbright is designed to let students study at their own pace, on their own schedules, so even if they’re in the same program no two students will have the same educational experience.
Some students took their their time, like Ahmed (graduate #342), who was the first student to actually complete all three of Calbright’s technology certificates:
“I don’t want to jump into a job and discover that I don’t want it, so I’m taking my time, getting my education, and finding what’s right for me,” Ahmed said. “I thought (Calbright) would be a regular college experience with strict deadlines and schedules, but it was totally different! You do the work when you can, and counselors reach out if you start to fall behind.”
Other students wanted to move through their program as quickly as they could, like Ekaterina (graduate #796):
“I wanted to learn actively, to go very fast,” she said. “I liked that I always had a person at Calbright that I could reach out to and that they answer me very fast.”
Students like Maryam (graduate #248) say that after enrolling in Calbright, they not only got an education, they found a community:
“Everyone was available,” Maryam said. “And the community of students and instructors on Slack was wonderful. When I had a question, I could ask. I could join study sessions, I could get assistance and support. I felt very connected, and it helped a great deal.”
That’s what Jimmy (graduate #123), who graduated from Calbright’s IT program, said too:
“There’s so many people I can connect with – I have a specific instructor for the class, and also a counselor and coaches, and they’re all on the same Slack I am, and so if I get stuck I have someone to reach out to. I had an experience once with a coding boot camp where it was self-paced, but if I had a question I had to contact customer service. At Calbright, if I ever get stuck or confused or need more information about something I just reach out to any of these people who I already know, and they always get back to me, sometimes as fast as five minutes, never later than the next day. And if they see I’m idle from the program for a week, I get a message asking me if I need help getting back on track. I love that about Calbright. They have guidance. They have mentorship. It’s great.”
“I love that about Calbright. They have guidance. They have mentorship. It’s great.”
Jimmy is one of the many Calbright students who earned a better job as a direct result of their Calbright education – utilizing the new skills they learned and Calbright’s free career services.
“While I was studying for Calbright’s cybersecurity certificate, a recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn about a job in cloud systems,” said Williams (graduate #39), who got his certificate from Calbright in IT Support. “Everything we’d done worked: soon I had a job offer, and I really like my new work. If I didn’t get the IT certificate at Calbright, I probably would not be here now. That triggered everything else that happened afterwards.”
Maurice (graduate #614), who got his job as a Desk Support Technician at a hospital through his work at Calbright, has advice for anyone thinking about enrolling:
“Don’t be afraid about taking a leap,” he said. “This program has so much support and so much communication that you will never feel you’re alone in it. (Calbright’s) a one stop shop for whatever course you’re going for. Don’t be afraid! I was just a beginner, and once I trusted the process it all came together and I learned so much.”
