Laura Ellison finished 30 years of employment with the Amador County government and decided she was still too young to retire. In June of 2019, she started taking childhood education (ECE) classes online with Sonora’s Columbia College. Laura had been referred to Amador College Connect by the director of the Montessori school in Pioneer and decided this is where she would begin her second college journey. Having already earned a Human Services certificate and Family Development credential from the College of San Mateo, Laura was already familiar with college in general. She was able to transfer credits from other colleges toward her Associate of Science degree in Child Development, which she received in December of 2021, with Distinction. Laura also completed the Apprenticeship for Child Development with Columbia College as well as a Site Supervisor permit. She now works at Pioneer Montessori, initially as site-supervisor but has recently transitioned to substitute teacher, moving into an administrative role to support the director. Laura states that her main goal is “to make a significant difference in the field of child development.” She especially loves seeing her young students learn while having fun. She credits Amador College Connect for her success: “It would have taken longer to meet my goals without the assistance and guidance from Amador College Connect.” Her advice to those who have considered college but are hesitant is to “Enjoy the journey and know that you don’t have to do it alone.” She also added, “It’s never too late!”