Erica Peña found a perfect fit at Regis University College for Professional Studies to complete her bachelor's after earning her associate of science degree at Morgan Community College. "It was a huge personal achievement! I'm the first one out of my whole family to actually go to college!" the Brush resident said. Since her graduation in December 2010, she has an extended substitute teaching job in Brush which she is hopeful will lead to a full-time teaching assignment in the fall.

"I really liked it," Peña said. "I'm not a traditional student. I had to work full time. I had a family. I couldn't drive to Denver or the nearest Regis campus."

The solution for her was taking most of her Regis classes through Directed Study online and a few classes on the Regis Lowell Campus. MCC did not abandon her in the process. Her math instructor, Carol Kuper, tutored her for her upper level math classes that she took through Regis Directed Study. Kuper said, "Mathematics is hard to take online; it's a hard topic to study by yourself." Kuper says Peña has quiet strength that is sure to make her a wonderful teacher.