This article appears for archival purposes. Any events, programs and/or initiatives mentioned may no longer be applicable.
Entrepreneur Jae Dillard Shares Her Rio Salado College Story With Roadtrip Nation
Three Rio Salado College students hit the road in fall 2021 on an ambitious two-week road trip to interview successful Rio alumni and former students to gain invaluable career advice and life perspectives. Mariah Schneider, one of the three students involved in the Roadtrip Nation project, got a chance to speak at length with Rio alumni Jae Dillard—an interview that was illuminating for the both of them.
Both Dillard and Schneider are self-made learners. “Applying for scholarships and having to create a path in education is something we share,” Schneider said. Despite those commonalities Dillard, a realtor based in Las Vegas, comes from a very different background than Schneider.
Initially based in Arizona, Dillard comes from a military background. As part of her service she relocated to Nevada, where she planted strong roots in the community. She had to depart early from the military due to changes in circumstances with her childcare, which unfortunately affected her VA loan—which meant she had to drop out of school for a time. But in her return to civilian life she found a new purpose and passion for real estate when she took a job as an administrative assistant in a real estate company. Inspired to pursue a career in business, she petitioned the military for tuition assistance and it was granted. That set her on a path that’s led her through Rio Salado College and to other institutions across the U.S.
"Being able to benefit from distance learning was a big plus for me," Dillard said about her time at Rio. She deepened her knowledge of real estate and business in her online studies.
"Real estate is my first love but in the beginning I wasn't sure if I'd actually get an opportunity to work in this field," Dillard said. "So I prepared myself to get a degree to work in business because it's the most flexible within the workforce. I kind of wanted to do more on the accounting and financial risk side—financial planning and different things like that was my goal, but real estate is something I just love to do.”
For Dillard, the prospect of being a mentor figure was a little daunting.
"Sharing my experiences with Mariah was a little nerve-wracking," Dillard
said. "Because I couldn't see how my story could benefit or inspire her." According to Schneider, Dillard’s anxieties were unfounded: she found the alumni’s perspective to be very illuminating.
“One of the best pieces of advice I learned from Jae is on framing responses to negative events,” Schneider said. “When people want to be negative, it's in your power to take that with you or not, and instead treat negative life moments as stories to learn from. Whenever those events happen to you, it's also crucial to acknowledge how they will change you, and it's natural if you cannot be positive all the time. I loved that she had gone through so many turns in life and used them to become stronger!”
One of Dillard's personal philosophies that she shared with Schneider is to focus on lifting yourself up and happiness will follow.
When asked if there was a topic she wished they had discussed during their Roadtrip Nation interview, Schneider brings up the subject of networking.
“One question I'd ask if I could go back is on how you manage networking,” Schneider said. "I'm new to networking on social platforms, I'd ask her more about how to stay encouraged when networking online. I think it would be quite helpful to those at home watching the show to know these skills as well!"
Dillard has been very busy since achieving her academic goals at Rio Salado College. Dillard is currently working as a realtor with eXp Realty and assisting her significant other with his small exporting business. She's also in the midst of launching a new eco-friendly business venture that's focused on helping the environment: https://rejdillard.wixsite.com/mysite.
As career-driven as Dillard is, she still makes time to continue her education. She transferred to Grand Canyon University from Rio and earned a bachelor's degree in finance and economics. She's taken online classes at Syracuse University and received the 35 credit hours she needed to earn a Project Manager certification.
While Roadtrip Nation is in both of their rearviews, Dillard and Schneider continue to stay in touch with each other.
“I still speak with Jae and I love that we have grown to talk more about finding positive ways to view life and our shared joy for audiobooks,” Schneider said.”
Hear more of Mariah’s interview with Jae on Rio Salado’s YouTube station
Watch the full interview, “The Other Side of Fear,” on Roadtrip Nation’s Page