posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 in
Alumni Profiles
There are many words that could describe Annette Miller, but “survivor” might be the best. The mother of two, she survived losing her job, losing her home, and nearly losing her life in an attack by her ex-husband.
Any one of these major life events would be enough to throw someone down for the count, but Annette wouldn’t stay down for long.
“The world is going to knock you down,” she said. “It’s about the way you get back up and start fighting.”
She packed her young boys in the car and moved from Georgia to Iowa, where she got a job in Waterloo at Ocwen Financial. When layoffs there again left her without a job, she made her way to Hawkeye Community College.
Annette enrolled in the Medical Billing and Coding Associate program, and soon found herself enjoying not just the classes, but the people on campus.
“I really enjoyed the instructors,” Annette said. “They helped me understand what I needed to do. The whole atmosphere at Hawkeye is great.”
When she graduated on May 11, 2018, it was with honors and as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She’s now looking forward to her sons, both college students, pursuing their dreams as she prepares to pursue hers.
“I have not regretted one bit coming to Hawkeye,” she said. “It gave me a new lease on life and let me know I can do it.”
Tags
- Alumni
- Graduation
- Medical Billing and Coding Associate
- Success Stories