Rio Grad Proves Dreams Don’t Have Deadlines
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
The COVID-19 pandemic gave Leslie Gibson something she hadn't had in years: time to think.
As she reflected on the goals she had put aside while raising four daughters and building a career, one dream kept resurfacing— earning a college degree.
Gibson began her higher education journey in 2003 at the University of Phoenix, where she earned 32 credits before family responsibilities forced her to step away.
"It was expensive, and I still had all my kids at home," she said. "I just couldn't."
Like many adult learners, Gibson placed her own goals on hold while raising her family and building a career. For the past 20 years, Gibson has worked as an executive assistant at Pilgrim’s Rest Baptist Church.
When the pandemic hit, Gibson found an opportunity to reflect on her future and the goals she still hoped to accomplish.
"When we were in COVID, I had a lot of time to think when we were home isolating," she said. "I decided that I wanted to go back to school and get my degree, but I did not want to get a degree in an area for a promotion within my job, but something I would enjoy."
In 2021, Gibson enrolled in Rio Salado College’s Information Technology program, determined to pursue a field that had fascinated her since the days of dial-up internet.
She vividly remembers the excitement of connecting to the internet with a dial-up modem and teaching herself how to upgrade her own computer by adding memory.
"The more I learned about computers, the more I needed to know how they worked," she said.
After Gibson started taking her classes at Rio Salado, she discovered that Maricopa Community Colleges were beginning to offer bachelor's degree programs, opening up new possibilities she hadn't previously considered.
Today, Gibson has her associate degree from Rio Salado and is just two classes away from completing her bachelor's degree in Computer Information Technology at Phoenix College. She's already planning for her next endeavor: earning an online master's degree.
"I look at earning my master's degree as a personal challenge for me," she said. "I did it almost 35 years later."
Even more meaningful is the fact that Gibson hopes to celebrate that milestone alongside her youngest daughter, who is pursuing her own bachelor's degree at the same out of state university.
"We won't be there together, but we will walk together," Gibson said.
Education has become a family affair in the Gibson household. One daughter earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Arizona State University in 2018, another is working on a bachelor's degree in computer information technology, and Gibson's oldest is in the process of re-enrolling at Rio Salado.
Throughout her journey, Gibson says the support she received from Rio Salado's advisors made a tremendous difference.
"Rio holds your hand a lot, which I really appreciate," she said.
Although Gibson doesn't plan to leave her current position anytime soon, she hopes to use her technology background in new ways after retirement, possibly through contract work in the computer field.
She and her twin sister, who has taught math for Rio Salado and earned a master's degree in business administration, have also discussed starting a nonprofit organization for at-risk youth, particularly girls, that would include computer technology education and training.
For Gibson, earning a degree has never been about career advancement. It's about personal growth, perseverance and fulfilling a promise she made to herself many years ago.
"Life happens," she said. "Although life sometimes throws curveballs, remember that some curveballs actually land in the right place."
Her advice to other adults considering a return to college is equally encouraging.
"I would encourage them to find the best path for them, online or in person," Gibson said. "I would let them know it's not how you start but how you finish."