Photo courtesy of Bridget Dowd/KJZZ.
New Mom Finds Educational Sweet Spot to Achieve Her Dream
Watch Rheanan’s story, shared by AZFamily
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Sometimes, going back to school is all about finding the sweet spot – the one place that seems tailored made for YOU.
For 24-year-old Rheanan Heller, the sweet spot was a school that met the needs of her personal situation. Heller works full time, is a new mom, a newly-wed, and an epileptic.
“When I first went to school, I struggled with the in-person environment,” Heller said. “Working full-time and managing my epilepsy added to the stress. I gave up on the idea of getting my degree until I came across Rio. It was truly a saving grace.”
Heller first encountered Rio Salado College in 2019 after moving to the Phoenix area from Flagstaff with her now husband. She found a job working as a supervisor for the answering service contracted by the college.
“From my initial training, I was amazed at how the college operated and seemed to truly care about their students,” Heller said. “It led me to enroll shortly thereafter and I’ve been here ever since.”
After a couple years of online learning, Heller earned two associate degrees: an associate in arts and an associate in applied science in paralegal.
“Rio has helped me start my career in the legal field,” Heller said. “After completing my associate degrees, I began work as an intellectual property paralegal. I quickly learned that I wanted to have more of an impact in the lives of others, so I switched to probate and civil litigation.”
In 2023, the budding attorney learned about Rio’s new bachelor’s degree in public safety administration offering, and was quick to enroll, applying her associate degree credits toward the program.
As if going to school full-time and working full-time wasn’t enough on her plate, Heller and her boyfriend married in 2023, and also welcomed a daughter. But that didn’t slow down her studies. She carried on, taking full course loads and accelerated classes.
“It really just took putting my nose to the grindstone,” Heller said. “I always took a full-time course load every term. One semester, I carried 21 units. I didn’t know anything but go, go, go.”
To help offset costs, Heller applied for a scholarship through the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, and was awarded the Dr. Larry Celaya Memorial Scholarship.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunities the scholarship gave me,” Heller said. “The award took away a significant amount of stress, allowing more time learning to be a mother.”
Reflecting on her own learning journey, Heller advises people considering online classes to be patient and open to communication.
“There’s definitely a learning curve and it can take some adjustment to manage deadlines independently,” Heller said. “Rio’s instructors are fantastic at checking in with you. They have a level of empathy many professors lack, making the classes truly worthwhile.”
One class that stood out for Heller was HES100 – Healthful Living.
“I took it at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and realized I was severely neglecting my own health and wellness,” Heller said. “It gave me permission to focus on myself and improve my own mental and physical health.”
Heller is looking forward to attending Rio Salado College’s commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Arizona Financial Theater in Phoenix, where she will walk the stage as one of the first two students to earn a bachelor’s degree from Rio Salado.
But Heller is not done with education yet. She’s preparing to take the LSAT exam in June, with a goal of attending the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University in the near future.
She credits Rio Salado for putting her on the road to academic and career success, and hopes others will follow suit.
“With the flexibility of Rio’s courses, the resources of the Maricopa Community Colleges, and the constant evolution of Arizona’s higher education system, there’s no better time to go back to school.”
Also completing a public safety administration bachelor’s degree this year is Amanda Jansen. Rio Salado congratulates both students for their accomplishments.