Read about how College of The Albemarle’s (COA) Work-Based Learning program helped Allison Gideonse-Morgan get started in a career she loves.
Allison Gideonse-Morgan spent 22 years living and working in New Jersey, steadily advancing her position within a company, eventually earning a top spot as Director of Health Information Management at the behavioral health organization where she had worked for more than two decades.
Although she had attained a level of professional success, Gideonse-Morgan didn’t have a college degree. But it was never a problem for her until 2014, when the U.S. Coast Guard relocated her husband to Elizabeth City. For three months, Gideonse-Morgan looked for a new job but couldn’t find one. Without a degree, she said, her qualifications weren’t easily sellable in the job market.
“I decided to pursue a degree in business management because that was my strong point,” said Gideonse-Morgan. Currently, she is pursuing her Associate in Applied Science in Business Management at COA.
Pursuing an official degree has already paid off. She enrolled at COA in January 2015 and by the fall, with the help of COA’s Work-Based Learning program, she landed a non-paid internship with the Albemarle Commission, a regional nonprofit agency. The community college’s partnership with the local organization helped her secure the position.
“I thought the job might challenge my degree,” Gideonse-Morgan said, referring to the program coordinator posting. Quickly, she put her organizational skills to work and within three months, her non-paid internship became an offer of full-time employment.
The job keeps her busy. The agency filters state and federal monies through various local organizations — including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Agency on Aging, the Northeastern Workforce Development Board and regional senior centers. The funding the Albemarle Commission distributes pays for services in the 10 counties located in the Albemarle region.
In addition to attending the various agency board meetings that the Commission supports, Gideonse-Morgan prepares the board meetings and takes the meeting minutes. But most importantly, she tracks progress on various initiatives, pulling all the data together to keep the agencies on task and focused on meeting their goals.
“It’s taking on its own life, based on the needs of the organization,” Gideonse-Morgan said of her job. “It’s sort of a natural fit. I really love it. I find it challenging — it’s definitely rewarding.”
COA’s Work-Based Learning program helped her succeed, where she had failed in trying to find a job initially. “Hands down I commend COA for the Work-Based Learning program and placing students in employment,” she added. “It’s a wonderful program.”